Automated litter device

ABSTRACT

An automated litter device having: a base; and a chamber configured for retaining a litter and rotatably supported by the support base, wherein the chamber includes: an entry opening so that an animal can enter and exit the chamber; and a waste opening generally opposing the entry opening configured so that an animal waste passes through the waste opening into the base upon rotation of the chamber; wherein the automated litter device includes one or more of: i) one or more sensors located adjacent to the entry opening which are adapted to sense the presence of the animal within the chamber, the presence of the waste in the base, a level of litter in the chamber, a position of the chamber relative to the base, or any combination thereof; ii) a filtering system configured for reducing, eliminating, and/or preventing, malodors building in the base; and/or iii) a litter dispenser in communication with the chamber to transfer some of the litter to the chamber.

FIELD

The present teachings generally relate to a litter device for use byanimals which automatically removes animal waste from litter.

BACKGROUND

Automated litter devices may provide a means for pet owners (e.g., user)to effectively manage waste eliminated by one or more of their pets.These automated litter devices may be advantageous in automaticallyremoving waste contents from litter; automatically collecting waste forsubsequent disposal; storing waste contents separate from a litterchamber such that they are not exposed to the ambient environment,thereby preventing and/or reducing smell from the waste. Examples ofsome automated litter boxes which may be particularly beneficial may befound in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,463,881; 8,757,094; and 9,433,185 which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.

One of the challenges with respect to automated litter devices issensing the presence of an animal within the device and avoiding acleaning cycle with the animal present. One solution is mass sensorswhich can detect a change in mass within the device. One such solutionis disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,094. Another known method is one ormore sensors located at or near an opening of the device. These sensorsmay provide a sensing curtain along the entrance of the device and sensemovement of an animal when the animal passes the curtain. These sensingcurtains may provide a narrow sensing range such that they only sensepresence of an animal passing the opening, may not determine if ananimal is entering or exiting the device, and may even be unable todetect the physical presence of the animal inside of the device.Notwithstanding the above, there is still a need for developing moreprecise means for detecting the presence of an animal within the deviceregardless of their weight and having a larger sensing range than justthe entrance opening. For example, young kittens when beinghousetrained, may not weigh enough to trigger the difference in massbeing sought by a mass sensor.

Another challenge with respect to automated litter devices isdetermining when a waste storage area, such as a waste bin or drawer, isnear full or full and thus needs to be emptied. One or more sensorswhich may be used for detecting waste in a waste drawer are typicallylocated in close proximity or within the waste drawer. Due to theproximity, the sensors are susceptible to damage from the litter, urine,or even feces over frequent usage of the device by an animal. There is aneed for providing accurate waste and waste level detection of a wastedrawer while keeping the sensors distanced away from the waste bin toavoid damage.

Another concern with respect to automated litter devices is managingodor when a large amount of waste is able to be collected within thedevice before the device needs to be emptied. As the waste drawer mayprevent exposure of used litter and animal waste to the ambientenvironment, pet owners may wait multiple days, or even longer, beforecleaning out the waste drawer. Thus, there is still a need for providingodor control for waste stored within the automated litter device forlonger durations of time (e.g., consecutive days, weeks).

A challenge associated with automated litter devices is the dependenceon a human for refilling with clean litter. While the device may be ableto separate waste from unused litter, the device itself may haveinsufficient litter while still having the ability to collect waste.Insufficient litter may lead to an increase in odors, an animal beinguncomfortable or unattracted to using the litter device, or even wastecontacting and adhering to interior surfaces. Thus, there is a need toprovide a method of more frequent litter dispensing into the litterdevice and allowing for the device to be used for longer periods withouthuman interaction.

SUMMARY

The present teachings relate to an automated litter device having: a) abase; and b) a chamber configured for retaining a litter and rotatablysupported by the support base, wherein the chamber includes: i) an entryopening so that an animal can enter and exit the chamber; and ii) awaste opening generally opposing the entry opening configured so thatanimal waste passes through the waste opening into the base uponrotation of the chamber; wherein the automated litter device includesone or more of: i) one or more sensors located adjacent to the entryopening which are adapted to sense the presence of the animal within thechamber, a level of the waste stored in a waste bin in the base, a levelof litter in the chamber, a position of the chamber relative to thebase, or any combination thereof; ii) a filtering system configured forreducing, eliminating, and/or preventing malodors building in the base;and/or iii) a litter dispenser in communication with the chamber totransfer some of the litter to the chamber.

The automated litter device of the present teachings provides for one ormore sensors which may be affixed in proximity to the chamber and entryopening. The one or more sensors may be one or more laser sensors. Theone or more sensors may be located on a bezel located about the entryopening. The one or more sensors may be able to detect the presence ofan animal without relying on their mass. The chamber may be tiltedrelative to a vertical axis. The one or more sensors may be able todetect the presence of the animal within the chamber due to the tilt ofthe chamber. The one or more sensors may be able to detect the presenceof waste, certain levels or amounts of waste, or both. The one or moresensors may be aligned with one or more openings of the device to have aline of sight into a waste bin. A tilt of the chamber may allow for theone or more sensors to have the line of sight into the waste bin via thewaste opening when the chamber rotates during a cleaning cycle. The oneor more sensors may be distanced from a waste bin. The one or moresensors may even be useful for detecting a position of the chamberduring a cleaning cycle. The automated litter device may include afiltering system. The filtering system may provide for an active means,passive means, or both for reducing or even eliminating malodorcollecting in a base of the device. The automated litter device may becompatible with or include a litter dispenser. The litter dispenser maybe automated. The litter dispenser may be in fluid communication with aninterior of a chamber of the litter device. The litter dispenser maydispose clean, unused litter into the interior of the chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 8 is a left side view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of an automatic litter device with a bonnetremoved according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 10 is a right side view of an automatic litter device with a bonnetand base frame removed according the teachings herein.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a septum according to the teachingsherein.

FIG. 12 is another perspective view of a septum according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 13 illustrates an upper chamber according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 14 illustrates a lower chamber according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a base according to the teachingsherein.

FIG. 16 illustrates a cross-section along section A-A of FIG. 3 of anautomatic litter device according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-section along section A-A of FIG. 3 of anautomatic litter device according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 18 illustrates a cross-section along section A-A of FIG. 3 of aportion of an automatic litter device according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 19A illustrates a cross-section along section C-C of FIG. 17 of anautomatic litter device according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 19B illustrates a filter system of an automatic litter device asshown in FIG. 19A according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective of a chamber according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 21 illustrates a filter according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 22 illustrates a cross-section along section A-A of FIG. 3 of anautomatic litter device according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 24 is a left side view of an automatic litter device according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 25 is a rear view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of a litter dispenser according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 27 is a rear perspective view of a litter dispenser according tothe teachings herein.

FIG. 28 illustrates a cross-section of a litter dispenser along sectionC-C of FIG. 25 according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 29 is an exploded view of a litter dispenser according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 30 illustrates a litter dispenser and bonnet of an automatic litterdevice according to the teachings herein.

FIG. 31 illustrates a dispensing process of litter according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 32 is a left side view of an automatic litter device with a partialcross-section along section C-C of FIG. 25 according to the teachingsherein.

FIG. 33 is a front view of an automatic litter device according to theteachings herein.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view into an interior of a dispenser housingaccording to the teachings herein.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view into an interior of a dispenser housingretaining a dispensing device according to the teachings herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended toacquaint others skilled in the art with the present teachings, itsprinciples, and its practical application. The specific embodiments ofthe present teachings as set forth are not intended as being exhaustiveor limiting of the present teachings. The scope of the present teachingsshould be determined with reference to the appended claims, along withthe full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Thedisclosures of all articles and references, including patentapplications and publications, are incorporated by reference for allpurposes. Other combinations are also possible as will be gleaned fromthe following claims, which are also hereby incorporated by referenceinto this written description.

Litter Device

The present teachings relate to a device that includes litter for use byan animal. The device may be a litter device. The litter device may bean automated litter device. The device may function to retain litter,sort used litter from unused litter, collect animal waste, remove animalwaste, divide animal waste from litter, temporarily store animal waste,or any combination thereof. The device may have the ability to replaceused litter with unused litter. The device may be useful by one or moredomesticated animals. One or more domesticated animals may include oneor more cats, rabbits, ferrets, pigs, dogs, ducks, goats, foxes, thelike, or any combination thereof. The device may be compatible with oneor more types of litter. One or more types of litter may includeclumping clay, non-clumping clay, silica gel crystals, recycled paper,pine, corn wheat, walnut shells, the like, or any combination thereof.

The litter device includes a chamber. The chamber may function to houseclean litter, provide a space for an animal to enter and excrete waste,or both. The chamber may have any size and shape which is able to retainsufficient litter for an animal to use during waste elimination, allowfor an animal to comfortably use the litter box, or both. The chambermay have a three-dimensional shape which is substantially spherical,ovoidal, cylindrical, cuboidal, conical, pyramidical, the like, or anycombination thereof. A shape which is substantially spherical, ovoidal,cylindrical, and/or the like may be beneficial in providing for rotationof the chamber during a cleaning cycle, avoiding litter and/or wastefrom collecting along one or more vertices, or a combination thereof.For example, the chamber may be shaped like a globe, sphere, football,egg, the like, or a combination thereof. The chamber may be capable ofrotation during a cleaning cycle. The chamber may be rotatably supportedby a base. The base may be located between the chamber and a surfaceupon which the litter device rests. The chamber may have a generallyhollow interior to accommodate one or more septums, liners, litter, andthe like. The chamber may include an entry opening, waste opening, orboth. The chamber may have a generally hollow interior to accommodateone or more animals during use. The chamber may have a size which isable to accommodate one or more animals which are about 1 kg or greater,about 2 kg or greater, about 4 kg or greater, about 8 kg or greater, oreven about 10 kg or greater. The chamber may have a size which is ableto accommodate one or more animals which are about 30 kg or less, about25 kg or less, about 20 kg or less, or even about 15 kg or less. Thehollow interior may form a volume of the chamber. The volume of thechamber may be about 16,000 cm³ or greater, about 32,500 cm³ or greater,or even about 65,000 cm³ or greater. The volume of the chamber may beabout 150,000 cm³ or less, about 100,000 cm³ or less, about 85,000 cm³or less, or even about 75,000 cm³ or less. The chamber may have a volumethat is usable by an animal which can fit through an entry opening. Theusable volume may be any volume such that the chamber may be used by ananimal to excrete waste. The usable volume may be any volume such thatan animal can enter, turn, and move around within the chamber. Thevolume of the chamber may be the usable volume, the total volume, orboth. The usable volume may be the volume within the hollow interior ofthe chamber minus the volume occupied by litter and any componentsinternally located within the chamber. The total volume may be theactual volume of the hollow interior of the chamber. The chamber may beformed by a single piece or a plurality of pieces. The chamber mayinclude one or more filter systems affixed thereto, in fluidcommunication therewith, or both. The chamber may be formed by a singlepiece having a substantially spherical shape. The chamber may be formedby two or more pieces which mate to form a substantially sphericalshape. The chamber may be formed by an upper chamber and lower chamber.

The chamber may include an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upperchamber and the lower chamber may function to mate together to form thechamber, an entry opening, or both. The upper chamber and lower chambermay mate together to form a shape and/or size of the chamber. The upperchamber, lower chamber, or both may form 25% of the chamber or greater,35% of the chamber or greater, or even 50% of the chamber or greater.For example, the upper chamber and lower chamber may each have a shapewhich is substantially hemispherical. The hemispherical shapes may matetogether to form a shape which is substantially spherical, ovoidal, orthe like. The upper chamber, lower chamber, or both may house one ormore filter systems. The upper chamber, lower chamber, or both mayinclude one or more filter cavities. The one or more filter cavities mayfunction as a filter housing. For example, the lower chamber may includea filter cavity on an underside. An underside may be the surface of thelower chamber facing toward a waste drawer when the chamber is in a homeposition. The upper chamber, lower chamber, or both may include one ormore flanges. The one or more flanges may be formed about one or morerims of the upper chamber, lower chamber, or both. The one or moreflanges may mate with one or more other flanges. For example, a flangeof an upper chamber may align and mate with a flange of a lower chamber.The upper chamber, lower chamber, or both may have one or more cut-outs,contours, and the like. The upper chamber, lower chamber, or both mayhave a cut-out which forms a portion of an entry opening. For example,the upper chamber may have a cut-out which forms an upper portion of anentry opening and the lower chamber may have a cut-out which forms alower portion of an entry opening.

The chamber may include an axis of rotation. The axis of rotation mayfunction as the relative axis about which the chamber rotates during oneor more cleaning cycles. The axis of rotation may have any orientationsuch that the usable volume of a chamber is increased; the litterrelative to the chamber has a conical rotation; litter is funneledtoward a rear of the chamber (e.g., away from the front opening), towardand through a screen and/or septum, or both; a larger entry opening maybe used without litter spilling therefrom; a screen and/or septum can belocated further back in the chamber creating more internal space; or anycombination thereof. The axis of rotation of the chamber may form anangle with a vertical plane, horizontal plane, or both. A vertical planemay be substantially in the direction of gravity, parallel to gravity,or both. A horizontal plane may be substantially perpendicular to adirection of gravity, parallel to a surface upon which the litter devicerests, or both. The axis of rotation of the chamber may form any anglewith a vertical plane, horizontal plane, or both so that one or more ofthe teachings herein are achieved. The axis of rotation may form anangle of about 88 degrees or less, about 85 degrees or less, about 80degrees or less, about 75 degrees or less, or even about 70 degrees orless with a vertical plane. The axis of rotation may form an angle ofabout 40 degrees or greater, about 45 degrees or greater, about 50degrees or greater, about 55 degrees or greater, about 60 degrees orgreater, or even about 65 degrees or greater with a vertical plane. Theaxis of rotation may form an angle of about 40 degrees to about 88degrees, of about 55 degrees to about 80 degrees, of about 40 degrees toabout 85 degrees, or even about 60 degrees to about 75 degrees with avertical plane. The axis of rotation may form an angle with thehorizontal plane that is complementary to the angle relative to thevertical plane. The angled axis of rotation may funnel clumps of wasteand/or litter, waste, or both toward a common location. The commonlocation may be located toward a rear, bottom, or both of the chamber.The common location may be a septum, screen, waste opening, waste bin,or any combination thereof. The axis of rotation may allow for a singlewaste opening to be used, waste to be funneled toward the waste opening,waste to transfer for the waste opening to a waste bin, or anycombination thereof.

The angled axis of rotation along with the frictional characteristics ofthe litter may result in a litter bed with an angle of repose. The angleof repose may function so that litter is angled away from an entryopening, litter is prevented from spilling from an entry opening, anentry opening may be as large as possible while keeping litter withinthe chamber, or any combination thereof. The angle of the litter bed maybe angled such that the litter is angled away from an entry opening.Angled away from an entry opening may mean that a depth of the litterproximate to an entry opening is smaller than a depth of the litter moredistant from the entry opening (e.g., the litter depth increases as thedistance of the litter increases from the entry opening). The angle ofthe litter bed may be any angle such that the ability of an animalaccidentally moving litter outside of opening is reduced compared to alitter bed that is free of an angle. Free of an angle may mean aboutperpendicular to the vertical plane, parallel to the horizontal plane,or both. The angle of the litter bed may form an angle that is about 89degrees or less, about 88 degrees or less, about 87 degrees or less, oreven about 85 degrees or less with the vertical plane. The angle of thelitter bed may form an angle that is about 70 degrees or greater, about75 degrees or greater, or even about 80 degrees or greater with thevertical plane. For example, the angle of the litter bed may be about 75degrees to about 88 degrees, or even about 80 degrees to about 87degrees with the vertical plane. The litter bed may rest on any surfaceof the chamber.

The chamber may include a liner. The liner may prevent direct contactbetween litter and a chamber interior while the chamber is in a homeposition. The liner may cover a portion or all of an interior surface ofthe chamber. The liner may be any size, shape, and/or configuration suchthat it contacts the litter; retains litter, waste, liquids, solids,semi-solids, or a combination thereof in the chamber. The liner may beany size and/or shape such that it allows the litter resting thereon toabsorb, encircle, clump, or a combination thereof to the waste afterelimination by an animal. The liner may have a shape substantiallyreciprocal with the contour of a chamber, upper chamber, lower chamber,or a combination thereof. For example, the liner may have a shape whichis substantially hemispherical. The liner may be directly adjacent toand in contact with an interior of the chamber. For example, the linermay be in direct contact with an interior surface of a lower chamber.The liner may be affixed to, free of attachment to, or both to achamber. The liner may be at least partially affixed to a lower chamber.The liner may be partially free of attachment to any part of thechamber. Free of attachment may allow for the liner to temporarilydistance itself from an interior surface of the chamber (e.g., drop,loosen) during one or more cleaning cycles. This distancing motion,whether dropping or loosening or the like, may allow for wastetemporarily stuck to the liner to loosen and move toward the wasteopening. One or more edges, a central region, or both may be affixed to,free of attachment to, or both to the chamber. For example, the edges ofliner may be connected to the chamber while a central region may be freeof attachment. The central region free of attachment may drop and/orloosen during a cleaning cycle while the edges remain affixed to thechamber. The liner may include a weight. The weight may function tocooperate with gravity, so the liner partially drops during a cleaningcycle, returns back to resting within the lower chamber when in a homeposition, or both. The weight may be affixed to, reside in, or both anunderside of the liner. The weight may be located between a liner andlower chamber. The weight may be located in a weight cavity within theliner. The underside of the liner may include a weight cavity formedtherein. The underside may be the side of the liner facing toward andadjacent to a lower chamber. The weight cavity may have a shapereciprocal with that of the weight. The weight cavity may be spherical,ovoidal, cylindrical, cuboidal, conical, pyramidical, the like, or anycombination thereof. The liner may be comprised of a suitable material.The material may be non-stick; liquid impenetrable; resistant to damage,penetration, scent absorption, stain, or a combination thereof bylitter, waste, liquids, solids, semi-solids, or a combination thereof.The liner material may be rubber, plastic, a synthetic material, anatural material, or any or a combination thereof.

The chamber includes an entry opening. The entry opening allows for oneor more animals to comfortably enter and exit the chamber. The entryopening may be any size and shape so that one or more animals may enterand exit the chamber. The entry opening may be any size and shape sothat during entry, use, and/or exiting by an animal; during one or morecleaning cycles; or any combination thereof litter is substantiallymaintained within the chamber. The entry opening may have a profileshape and/or cross-section which is substantially circular, ovular,elliptical, square, rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, rhombus, thelike, or any combination thereof. The profile shape may be a shapelooking at an opening plane straight on, perpendicular, or both. Theentry opening may have a profile shape which is symmetrical,non-symmetrical, or both. An entry opening which is circular, ovular, orthe like may offer a more comfortable and larger entry area, may avoidsharp vertices that may scratch an animal, may avoid sharp verticeswhich may catch litter upon exit of the animal from the chamber, or acombination thereof.

The entry opening may form an opening plane. The opening plane mayextend along the entry opening (e.g., along a surface that extends fromthe top of the entry opening to the bottom of the entry opening). Theentry opening, the opening plane, or both may form an angle with avertical plane. The entry opening, opening plane, or both may form anangle with the vertical plane of about 5 degrees or more, about 10degrees or more, or even about 15 degrees or more, about 18 degrees ormore, or even about 20 degrees or more. The entry opening, openingplane, or both may form an angle with the vertical plane of about 60degrees or less, about 45 degrees or less, about 30 degrees or less, oreven about 25 degrees or less. For example, the entry opening, openingplane, or both may form an angle with the vertical plane of about 10degrees to about 30 degrees. As another example, the entry opening,opening plane, or both may form an angle with the vertical plane ofabout 15 degrees to about 25 degrees (i.e., about 20 degrees). The angleof the entry opening, opening plane, or both relative to the verticalplane may allow for litter to be maintained within the chamber, theentry opening to be as large as possible while maintaining litter withinthe chamber, provide a larger interior surface area for a litter bed,allow for one or more sensors to have a line of sight into an interiorof the chamber, or any combination thereof.

The entry opening may include one or more axes. The one or more axes mayassist in defining the width, height, shape, cross-sectional area, orany combination thereof of the entry opening. The one or more axes mayinclude a primary axis and secondary axis. A primary axis may besubstantially parallel with the opening plane, angled relative to thevertical plane and/or horizontal plane, may extend from the top of theentry opening to the bottom of the entry opening, or any combinationthereof. The top of the entry opening may be defined as opposite thebottom. The bottom may be defined as a portion closest to the base ofthe litter device. The primary axis may define a height of the entryopening A secondary axis may be substantially parallel with the openingplane, perpendicular to the primary axis, parallel with a horizontalplane, may extend from one side to an opposing side, or any combinationthereof. The secondary axis may define a width of the entry opening. Thelength of the primary axis and the length of the secondary axis may forma ratio. The ratio may be such that an animal can comfortably fit withinthe entry opening to enter and exit the chamber, litter and wastecontents remain within the chamber, or both. The ratio of the length ofthe primary axis to the secondary axis may be about 1:3 or greater,about 1:2.5 or greater, about 1:2 or greater, about 1:1.5 or greater,about 1:1.2 or greater, or even about 1:1 or greater. The ratio of thelength of the primary axis to the secondary axis may be about 3:1 orless, about 2.5:1 or less, about 2:1 or less, about 1.5:1 or less, about1.2:1 or less, or even about 1.1:1 or less. The axis of rotation may runat an angle relative to the primary axis, secondary axis, or both. Theaxis of rotation may be at an angle acute, perpendicular, or obtuse tothe primary axis, secondary axis, or both. The axis of rotation may beat an angle of about 60 degrees or greater, about 70 degrees or greateror even about 85 degrees or greater relative to the primary axis,secondary axis, opening plane, or any combination thereof. The axis ofrotation may be at an angle of about 120 degrees or less, about 110degrees or less, or even about 95 degrees or less relative to theprimary axis, secondary axis, opening plane, or any combination thereof.For example, the axis of rotation may be at an angle of about 85 degreesto about 95 degrees (e.g., about 90 degrees) relative to the primaryaxis and secondary axis.

The entry opening has a cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional areamay be sufficiently large to comfortably accommodate an animal enteringand exiting the chamber while maintaining litter and waste within thechamber. The cross-sectional area may be the cross-sectional area of theprofile shape of the entry opening. The cross-sectional area may bemeasured along one or more planes parallel to the opening plane, primaryaxis, secondary axis, or a combination thereof. The cross-sectional areaof the entry opening may be about 300 cm² or greater, about 500 cm² orgreater, about 700 cm² or greater, about 900 cm² or greater, about 1,100cm² or greater, or even about 1,200 cm² or greater. The cross-sectionalarea of the entry opening may be about 5,000 cm² or less, about 4,000cm² or less, about 3,000 cm² or less, about 2,000 cm² or less, or evenabout 1,500 cm² or less. The height of the entry opening along a primaryaxis may be about 20 cm or greater, about 25 cm or greater, about 30 cmor greater, or even about 40 cm or greater. The height of the entryopening along a primary axis may be about 75 cm or less, about 60 cm orless, about 55 cm or less, or even about 50 cm or less. The height andwidth of the entry opening may be defined by an inner surface of achamber, bezel, or both at the entry opening. The entry opening mayinclude an entry lip.

The litter device may include a bezel. The bezel may function to definethe entry opening, provide an aesthetic appearance of a front of thelitter device, maintain litter within the chamber, seal off any jointsalong the front of the device from litter, seal off any pinch points atand/or around the entry opening, house one or more sensors, house one ormore control panels, the like, or any combination thereof. The bezel mayhave any shape, size, and/or form such the bezel may be able to providea barrier for litter and/or other waste remnants while not interferingwith entry and egress of an animal from the chamber. The bezel may haveany size and/or shape for defining and/or encircling an entry opening.The bezel may have a shape reciprocal, similar, and/or same as the entryopening. The bezel may have a substantially circular and/or ovalcross-sectional shape with an opening therein. The opening may definepart of the entry opening and have similar and/or same dimensions assuitable for the entry opening. The bezel may have a shape and size soas to conceal one or more rims, edges, or both of a bonnet, base frame,chamber, or a combination thereof. The bezel may have a shape and sizeso as to conceal the space between a chamber and bonnet, chamber andbase frame, or both. The bezel may be formed as a single piece ormultiple pieces. The bezel may include an inner bezel, outer bezel, orboth. The outer bezel may function to provide an aesthetically appealingbezel about the entry opening, conceal one or more components affixed tothe inner bezel, or both. The inner bezel may function to retain one ormore electrical components, affix the bezel to a bonnet, base, or both.The inner bezel and outer bezel may cooperate together to define a gaptherebetween. The gap within the bezel may house one or more sensors,electrical components, control panels or components thereof, or anycombination thereof. The inner bezel may be permanently and/or removablyaffixed to a bonnet, base frame, outer bezel, or a combination thereof.The inner bezel, outer bezel, or both may be affixed to the outer bezel,inner bezel, bonnet, base frame, or a combination thereof by one or morefasteners. The one or more fasteners may include one or more threadedfasteners (e.g., screw, bolt, nut), interlocking tabs, rivets, pins, thelike, or a combination thereof. The inner bezel may be affixed to boththe base frame and the bonnet. The inner bezel may be affixed alongcut-outs of the base frame and bonnet which define an entry opening. Theouter bezel may then be affixed to the inner bezel. The bezel may becomprised of one or more materials suitable for exposure to litter,waste, moisture, fumes, and the like. Examples of materials that can beused are rubber, plastic, metal, ceramic, or a combination thereof. Thebezel may be made of the same or a different material as the bonnet,base frame, or both. The inner bezel, outer bezel, or both may includeone or more mounts extending therefrom and into the gap of the bezel,toward the opposing bezel, into an interior of a bezel, to an exteriorof the bezel, or a combination thereof. One or more mounts may includeone or more sensor mounts, control mounts, or both. One or more sensormounts may include one or more sensor boards. One or more sensor mountsmay retain one or more sensors. One or more sensor mounts may be locatedwithin an interior, exterior, or both of the bezel. One or more controlmounts may house and/or retain one or more control panels and/or userinterfaces. One or more control mounts may be located within aninterior, exterior, or both of the bezel.

The chamber includes one or more waste openings. The one or more wasteopenings may function to allow waste, used litter, or both to transferfrom the chamber into the base, waste bin, or both. The waste openingmay be at any location in the chamber so that the waste, used litter, orboth may transfer from the chamber into a waste bin. The waste openingmay be at any location in the chamber that aligns with the waste binduring a cleaning cycle, off-set from the waste bin while in a homeposition, or both. The waste opening may be formed as an aperture in anupper chamber, lower chamber, or both. For example, the waste openingmay be formed as an aperture in the upper chamber such that it residessubstantially opposite the waste bin while the chamber is in a homeposition. The waste opening may have any shape suitable for allowingwaste to quickly transfer from the chamber to the waste drawer during acleaning cycle. The waste opening may have a cross-sectional shape whichis substantially circular, ovular, square, rectangular, trapezoidal,triangular, rhombus, the like, or any combination thereof. The wasteopening may have a shape which is reciprocal with a cross-sectionalshape of the waste bin. The waste opening may be located partially orcompletely on one side of a longitudinal plane of the device. Thelongitudinal plane may intersect the rotational axis, vertical plane,horizontal plane, or a combination thereof. The rotational axis,vertical plane, or both may be parallel to, lie within, or both to thelongitudinal plane. The horizontal plane may be substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal plane. The longitudinal plane maydivide the litter device into side halves. The side halves may eachcomprise a portion of the bonnet, chamber, and base. The side halves maybe substantially symmetrical and/or mirrored about the longitudinalplane. Substantially symmetrical may still allow for certain features tobe only located on one side of the device, such as a waste opening. Acenter of the waste opening may be offset from the longitudinal axis byan angle. A center of the waste opening may be angled from thelongitudinal plane by about 0° or more, about 5° or more, about 10° ormore, about 15° or more, or even about 20° or more. A center of thewaste opening may be angled from the longitudinal plane by about 45° orless, about 35° or less, about 30° or less, or even about 25° or less.The angle may be measured when a chamber is in a home position. Thewaste opening may be located on one or more sides of a track. The wasteopening may be located between an entry opening and a track. The wasteopening while the chamber is in a home position, may not overlap withthe waste bin. The waste opening, during a cleaning cycle, maysubstantially align, overlap, or both with a waste bin. The wasteopening, during a cleaning cycle, may be rotated about the rotationalaxis. The waste opening, during a cleaning cycle, may rotate from a homeposition to an emptying position, a home position, any positiontherebetween, or a combination thereof. The emptying position may bewhen the chamber is rotated such that the waste opening is locatedadjacent to, overlapping with, substantially centered with, or acombination thereof the waste bin. The waste opening, during a cleaningcycle, may rotate by an angle of about 130° or greater, about 145° orgreater, about 150° or greater, about 155° or greater, or even about160° or greater to an emptying position. The waste opening, during acleaning cycle, may rotate by an angle of about 230° or less, about 220°or less, about 200° or less, or even about 180° or less to an emptyingposition. The waste opening may rotate a complete revolution (e.g.,360°) from the start of a cleaning cycle to the end of a cleaning cycle.Rotation of the waste opening may occur when a track is rotated.Rotation of a track may rotate the chamber and the waste opening.

The chamber may include a rotation device. The rotation device mayfunction to rotate the chamber about a rotational axis, rotate thechamber during a cleaning cycle, or both. The rotation device may be atrack, gear, high friction surface, raised area, toothed area, contactsurface area, the like, or a combination thereof. The rotation devicemay be affixed to, integral with, in rotational communication with, or acombination thereof the chamber. The rotation device may be located onan exterior, interior, or both of the chamber. The rotation device maybe a belt, a cog, a sprocket, a toothed assembly, rollers, a wheel, thelike, or a combination thereof. The chamber may include a track about atleast a portion of an exterior of the chamber. The base may include oneor more drive sources in rotational communication with and which drivesthe rotation device.

The chamber may include a track. The track may function to rotate thechamber about a rotational axis, cooperate with a drive source, or both.The track may have any suitable configuration for cooperating with andbeing driven by a drive source. The track may include or be a gear,toothed, or both. A gear may be a spur gear, helical gear, internalgear, the like, or a combination thereof. For example, the track may bea spur gear with teeth evenly spaced and projected about the perimeter.The track may be located about at least a portion of a periphery of thechamber. The track may be located about a portion of an upper chamber,lower chamber, or both. The track may encircle an outside wall of thechamber. The track may be located anywhere along an exterior of thechamber. The track may lay in and/or form a plane referred to as a trackplane. The track plane may form an angle relative to the opening plane,vertical plane, horizontal plane, or a combination thereof. The trackplane may be substantially parallel to the opening plane. The trackplane may be substantially normal to an axis of rotation. The trackplane may be at an angle relative to the vertical plane substantiallysimilar as the opening plane. The track plane may form an angle with thevertical plane of about 5 degrees or more, about 10 degrees or more, orabout 15 degrees or more, about 18 degrees or more, or even about 20degrees or more. The track plane may form an angle with the verticalplane of about 60 degrees or less, about 50 degrees or less, about 45degrees or less, about 30 degrees or less, or even about 25 degrees orless. For example, the track plane may form an angle with the verticalplane of about 5 degrees to about 50 degrees. As another example, thetrack plane may form an angle with the vertical plane of about 10degrees to about 30 degrees. The track may be fairly concentric,off-set, or both relative to a center, great circle, lesser circle, or acombination thereof of the chamber. The track may be offset from thegreat circle of the chamber. A great circle may be defined as the circlewhich acts as an equator of the chamber, is located about the widestdiameter of the chamber, is substantially parallel to an entry openingof a chamber, or a combination thereof. A great circle may beperpendicular to or be the joint between the upper chamber and lowerchamber. The track may be offset from the great circle of the chamber.The track may be closer to an entry opening, front, rear, or acombination thereof of the chamber. The track may be distanced from theentry opening. The track may be located generally opposite the entryopening. The track may be distanced from the entry opening by about 45%or greater, about 60% or greater, about 70% or greater, about 75% orgreater, or even about 80% or greater of a total length of a chamber.The track may be distanced from the entry opening by about 95% or less,about 93% or less, about 90% or less, about 87% or less, or even byabout 85% or less of a total length of a chamber. The length of thechamber may be measured from the entry opening toward the rear, along arotational axis, or both. The track may be used to rotate the chamberabout the axis of rotation during a cleaning cycle. The track may beused to rotate the chamber clockwise, counterclockwise, or both. Thetrack may be concealed by the bonnet, base, or both. Concealing thetrack may avoid creating pinch points or unnecessary contact points forone or more animals, humans, or both.

The litter device may include a bonnet. The bonnet may function to covera track, cover a waste opening, provide an aesthetically appealingexterior, protect against one or more pinch points or contact pointswith one or more moving components, prevent contaminants (e.g., liquid,dust, fur, etc.) from entering into the device (e.g., such as betweenthe track and drive source), or a combination thereof. The bonnet maypartially or fully cover a track, waste opening, or both while thechamber is in home position, during a cleaning cycle, in an emptyingposition, or any combination thereof. The bonnet may be static, mobile,or both relative to the chamber when the chamber rotates. The bonnetbeing static relative to the chamber may allow for the bonnet tocontinuously cover the track, waste opening, pinch points, or acombination thereof while the chamber is in motion. The bonnet beingstatic relative to the chamber may provide ease in manufacturing,reliability during use, or both. The bonnet may have any suitable shapeand/or size for covering and/or concealing a track, waste opening, orboth; being located over and/or about at least a portion of a chamber;or any combination thereof. The bonnet may have a shape substantiallyreciprocal with the contour of a chamber, upper chamber, lower chamber,or a combination thereof. For example, the bonnet may have a shape whichis substantially hemispherical. The bonnet may be substantially solid,continuous, have one or more openings, discontinuous, the like, or anycombination thereof. The bonnet may be free of or include one or moreopenings. The one or more openings may align with a waste opening whilethe chamber is in a home position. The one or more openings may includea transparent covering. The transparent covering may allow for light topass through while still physically covering a waste opening. The one ormore openings may allow natural light into the chamber interior. Thebonnet may be affixed to a base, bezel, litter dispenser, or acombination thereof. The bonnet may be permanently and/or removablyaffixed to a base, base frame, bezel, litter dispenser, or a combinationthereof. The bonnet may be pivotably engaged with the base, base frame,or a combination thereof. The bonnet may be affixed to the base and/orbase frame by one or more hinges, fasteners, or both. One or morefasteners may include one or more threaded fasteners (e.g., screw, bolt,nut), interlocking tabs, rivets, pins, the like, or a combinationthereof. The bonnet may be affixed to the base and/or base frame by oneor more hinges opposite an entry opening. The bonnet may be affixed tothe base and/or base frame by one or more interlocking tabs where thebonnet mates with the base and/or base frame. The bonnet may be affixedto the bezel with one or more interlocking tabs where the bonnet mateswith the bezel about the entry opening. The bonnet may be attached byone or more conductive fasteners to the bezel, base, base frame, or acombination thereof. One or more conductive fasteners may conductcurrent from the bezel, base, base frame, or a combination thereof tothe bonnet. The flow of current via one or more conductive fasteners mayindicate the bonnet is affixed to the base, base frame, and/or bezel.The stop of current flow via the one or more conductive fasteners mayindicate the bonnet has been removed from the base, base frame, and/orbezel. One or more cleaning cycles may be prevented from occurring, thechamber may be prevented from rotating, or both when the bonnet isremoved from the base, base frame, and/or bezel. The bonnet may includeone or more interlock sensors as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,094and US Patent Application Publication No: 2013/0333625, incorporatedherein by reference.

The litter device may eliminate waste during one or more cleaningcycles. A cleaning cycle may function to transfer waste from a chamberto a waste bin, waste drawer, base, the like, or any combinationthereof. The cleaning cycle may function to rotate the chamber about arotational axis. During a cleaning cycle, the chamber may rotateclockwise, counterclockwise, or both. A direction of rotation may bedependent on orientation of a septum, screen, or both.

The litter device includes a base. The base may function to support achamber, house a waste drawer, house one or more electrical components,or any combination thereof. The base may have any size and shape so thatthe base may support the chamber, house a waste drawer, and/or house oneor more electrical components. The base may rotatably support thechamber. The base may allow the chamber to rotate during one or morecleaning cycles. The base may be configured to rest on a surface. Asurface may be any suitable surface for having a litter device restingthereon. The surface may be a floor, table, platform, substantiallyplanar surface, or any combination thereof. The base may include one ormore base frames, waste drawers, drawer cavities, chamber supports,steps, electrical components, ports, filters, the like, or anycombination thereof.

The base may include a base frame. The base frame may have any sizeand/or shape to support a chamber; mate with a bonnet; house a wastedrawer, one or more electrical components, one or more filters and/orfilter systems; rest on a surface; the like, or a combination thereof.The base frame may have a three-dimensional shape which is substantiallyspherical, ovoidal, cylindrical, hemispherical, cuboidal, conical,pyramidical, the like, or any combination thereof. For example, the baseframe may have a first shape which is substantially cuboidal and/orcylindrical which extends to a second shape which is hemispherical. Thebase frame may have a shape which is substantially reciprocal to theshape of a waste drawer, chamber, or both. For example, the first shapewhich is substantially cuboidal and/or cylindrical may house the wastedrawer while the second shape may be hemispherical and house a lowerchamber. The second shape may include a cut-out. The cut-out may have ashape reciprocal with that of a chamber, entry opening, bezel, or both.The cut-out may be located on a same side of the device as the entryopening. The cut-out may be substantially U-shaped. The base frame maybe affixed to a bezel at an open-end, along a cut-out, or both. The baseframe may include a bottom. The bottom may be a closed end of the baseframe. The bottom may be opposite an open end, chamber support, or bothof the base frame. The bottom may function to allow the base frame torest on a surface. The bottom may have one or more features for adaptingto uneven surfaces. The bottom may be substantially planar, flat, residein one plane, or a combination thereof. The bottom may include one ormore ridges, feet, or both. The one or more feet may be adjustable sothat the litter device may rest level on a surface. Adjacent to thebottom there may be a drawer cavity. The drawer cavity may function tohouse a waste drawer. The drawer cavity may be formed as a hollowinterior in the base frame. The hollow interior may be reciprocal to,larger than, or both a waste drawer. The drawer cavity may include awaste drawer track. A waste drawer track may provide a track for thewaste drawer to slide along when either opening or closing, maintainalignment of the waste drawer, guide installation of a waste drawer intothe drawer cavity, or any combination thereof. A waste bin may residewithin the drawer cavity. The base frame may include a drawer opening.The drawer opening may be formed as an opening in the base frame. Thedrawer opening may be located on a same or different side as an entryopening, hinge, or a combination thereof. The drawer opening may have across-sectional shape substantially reciprocal to the cross-sectionalshape of a waste drawer. The drawer cavity may be defined as the spacebetween the bottom of the base frame and a chamber support. The baseframe may be in fluid communication with a filter system. The base framemay include one or more port openings. One or more port openings may belocated on a rear side, opposite a waste drawer front, opposite a wastedrawer opening, opposite an entry opening, or a combination thereof. Theone or more port openings may be closed by one or more port caps. Thechamber support may provide support for the chamber, a seal between thechamber and the waste cavity, an opening between the waste opening ofthe chamber and the waste bin, separation of one or more electricalcomponents and the waste drawer, support for a drive mechanism, or anycombination thereof. The chamber support may rest between a first shapeand a second shape of the base frame. The chamber support may have ashape substantially reciprocal with a portion of a chamber. The chambersupport may function as an isolated mount, such as described in U.S.Pat. No. 8,757,094 and US Patent Application Publication No.2013/0333625, incorporated herein by reference.

The litter device includes a waste drawer. The waste drawer may functionto collect waste, temporarily store waste, prevent malodors related towaste from exiting the device, or any combination thereof. The wastedrawer may have any shape and size that allows the waste drawer tocollect and temporarily store waste. The waste drawer may be locatedwithin a base, within a drawer cavity, between a chamber support and abottom of a base, between a bottom of a base and the chamber, or anycombination thereof. The waste drawer may be any size and/or shape suchthat it is able to temporarily collect and store waste. The wastedrawer, or portions thereof, may have a three-dimensional shape which issubstantially spherical, ovoidal, cylindrical, cuboidal, conical,pyramidical, the like, or any combination thereof. For example, a wastedrawer may have a shape which is substantially cuboidal and hollow. Thewaste drawer may slide within a plane. The waste drawer may be removablylocated within the base. The waste drawer may be at least partiallylocated within a waste drawer cavity. The plane may be parallel oroffset relative to a horizontal plane. The waste drawer may include awaste bin, drawer front, step, handle, or any combination thereof. Adrawer front may form all or a portion of a forward-facing surface(e.g., same side as an entry opening) of the base. A drawer front mayalign with an exterior of a base frame so as to conceal the drawercavity. A drawer front may have a cross-sectional shape substantiallyreciprocal with a cross-sectional shape of a drawer opening in the baseframe. A reciprocal shape may allow for the drawer cavity by the drawerfront to be completely sealed when the waste drawer is located withinthe drawer cavity. The drawer front may be affixed, integral with, orboth to a waste bin. The drawer front may be forward-facing relative tothe waste bin.

The waste drawer may include a waste bin configured to retain usedlitter, waste, a waste bag, or any combination thereof. The waste binmay have a hollow interior. The hollow interior may define a volume ofthe waste bin. The volume of the waste bin may be suitable for retainingmultiple days of waste, used litter, or both. The volume of the wastebin may be suitable for storing waste which accumulates over 1 day ormore, 3 days or more, 5 days or more, or even 7 days or more. The volumeof the waste bin may be suitable for storing waste which accumulatesover 20 days or less, 15 days or less, 12 days or less, or even 10 daysor less. The volume of the waste bin may be about 7,500 cm³ or more,about 10,000 cm³ or more, about 12,000 cm³ or more, or even about 12,500cm³ or more. The volume of the waste bin may be about 50,000 cm³ orless, about 40,000 cm³ or less, about 30,000 cm³ or less, about 20,000cm³ or less, or even about 15,000 cm³ or less. The waste bin may includeone or more seals. The one or more seals may allow for malodors to beretained with the drawer cavity, prevented from escaping outside of thelitter device, or both. For example, the waste bin may include a rubbergasket about a periphery of an opening. The opening of the waste bin maybe in fluid communication and/or alignment with an opening of a chambersupport, may come into fluid communication and/or alignment with a wasteopening, or a combination thereof. The opening of the waste bin may bein fluid communication with one or more filtering systems. The waste binmay be affixed to one or more steps and/or handles of the waste drawer.

The litter device may include one or more steps. The one or more stepsmay allow an animal to comfortably enter and exit the chamber via anopening. The one or more steps may have any size and shape that allowsone or more animals to enter and exit the chamber via the opening. Theone or more steps may be located on a same side of the device as anopening. The one or more steps may be part of the base, chamber, wastedrawer, the like, or any combination thereof. The step may have anyshape, size, and/or configuration to ease entry and exit of an animalinto the chamber, provide a handle for opening a waste drawer, cleaningexcess litter from paws of an animal, or any combination thereof. Theone or more steps may have a cross-sectional shape which issubstantially circular, ovular, square, rectangular, trapezoidal,triangular, rhombus, the like, or any combination thereof. For example,a step may have a cross-sectional shape which is generally trapezoidalwith rounded vertices. The cross-sectional shape may refer to across-section which is substantially parallel to a horizontal plane. Oneor more steps may extend outward, away, or both from a waste bin, drawerfront, base frame, or a combination thereof. One or more steps may bepermanently affixed to, removably affixed to, integral with, or both thewaste bin, drawer front, base frame, or a combination thereof. One ormore steps may be removable and/or affixed such that the one or moresteps can be removed to dispose of litter and remnants collected in ahollow interior. The step may function as a handle. The step may includean indentation, groove, smaller thickness, or the like to provide ahandle. The indentation, groove, or smaller thickness may be locatedopposite an upper surface which is used for the animal to step thereon.The upper surface, interior, or both may include a cleaning device. Thestep may be at least partially hollow. A hollow interior may allow forloose litter from a cleaning device to be collected.

The one or more steps may include a cleaning device. The cleaning devicemay function to remove litter remaining on feet (e.g., paws) of ananimal when they exit the chamber, before completely leaving the litterdevice, or both. By removing litter from an animal's paws, the cleaningdevices prevents litter and other unwanted remnants from an animal'spaws being tracked throughout a region surrounding the litter device.The cleaning device may have any configuration which removes litter froman animal's paws, can be located on a step, is unobtrusive, or anycombination thereof. A cleaning device may have a cross-sectional shapesimilar to that of the step. A cleaning device may have a shapereciprocal with at least a portion of an interior hollow portion of astep. A similar shape allows for the cleaning device to completely coveran upper surface of a step, be located within the step, or both. The oneor more cleaning devices may have one or more surfaces which arecontoured. Contoured may mean ribbed, grated, corrugated, slotted, thelike, or any combination thereof. For example, a surface opposing thestep may be corrugated and/or ribbed. A contoured surface may bebeneficial in loosening litter, waste, and/or other debris from the pawof an animal; collecting the litter, waste, and/or other debris; or anycombination thereof. For example, the peaks of a contoured surface maycome in contact with the paws of an animal and aid in removal of thelitter, waste, and/or other debris. For example, the valleys of thecontoured surface may collect the litter, waste, and/or other debris.The one or more cleaning devices may include or be free of one or moreopenings. One or more openings may allow for litter to pass through,pass from the cleaning device into a hollow interior of a step, passinto an interior of the cleaning device, or a combination thereof. Theone or more cleaning devices may include a mat, pad, screen, insert, thelike, or a combination thereof. The one or more cleaning devices may bemade of any material which can remove the litter, other unwantedremnants, or both; is able to withstand exposure to litter and animalwaste; or a combination thereof. The cleaning device may be comprised ofrubber, plastic, polymer, natural material, synthetic material, or acombination thereof. The cleaning device may be made from a same ordifferent material as the remainder of the litter device. The cleaningdevice may be removable from a step. By being removable, the hollowinterior can be exposed, such as for removing collected litter andremnants. The cleaning device may be secured via one or more fastenersor may be free of being secured with one or more fasteners. One or morefasteners may include one or more threaded fasteners (e.g., screw, bolt,nut), interlocking tabs, rivets, pins, the like, or a combinationthereof. To avoid being attached by one or more fasteners, the cleaningdevice may rest atop a rim and/or flange of a step, within one or moresupporting surfaces projecting from an inside of a step, or both. Byavoiding the use of fasteners, removing the cleaning device may be quickand simple for a user.

The litter device may include a septum. The septum may function to sortwaste from litter, separate used litter from unused litter, or both. Theseptum may have any size or shape suitable for being located within thechamber to sift through litter during a cleaning cycle. The septum maybe a single piece or a plurality of pieces. The septum may include ascreen portion, septum portion, hinge, or a combination thereof. Theseptum may be located within the chamber, affixed to an interior of thechamber (e.g., upper chamber), integral with the chamber, or anycombination thereof. The septum may be located substantially across froma lower chamber, liner, or both. The septum may be aligned with a wasteopening, partially through a waste opening, or both of the upperchamber. The septum portion may include a septum opening. The septumopening may be aligned, co-axial, centered, and/or even reside within awaste opening. The septum opening may be formed in a protrusion of aseptum portion. A protrusion may create a funnel to guide waste throughthe waste opening into the waste drawer. The septum opening may be thehollow portion of the protrusion. The protrusion may be referred to as aneck. The protrusion (e.g., neck) may be located within the wasteopening. The septum portion may be statically affixed to an interior ofthe chamber, such as the upper chamber. Thus, the septum portion mayrotate with and remain fixed to the chamber during rotation. The septummay include a hinge. The hinge may connect a septum portion to a screenportion. The hinge may allow a septum portion, screen portion, or boththe ability to move relative to the other during one or more cleaningcycles, rotation of a chamber, or both. The hinge may be affixed to,integral with, adjacent to, located between, or a combination thereof tothe septum portion and screen portion. The hinge may be amulti-component hinge (e.g., butt hinge) or a single component hinge. Asingle component hinge may be a living hinge. The hinge may be made ofany material which allows movement of the screen portion, septumportion, or both relative to the other. Movement may be during theforming process of the septum, before and/or during installation of theseptum into the chamber, rotation of the chamber during a cleaningcycle, or any combination thereof. The hinge may also be formed suchthat it allows the screen geometry to be formed in the line of draw ofthe septum for molding. The hinge may be made of the same material asthe screen portion, septum portion, or both. The hinge may allow for thescreen portion to be angled relative to the septum portion. The hingemay allow for the septum to be installed and contour to a shapesubstantially reciprocal to an interior of the chamber. The hinge mayimpart flexibility to the screen portion relative to the septum portion.The screen portion, in a home position of the chamber, natural restingportion of the septum outside of the chamber, or both may be at anacute, perpendicular, or obtuse angle relative to the septum portion.The screen portion may be at an angle relative to the septum portion ofabout 90 degrees or greater, about 120 degrees or greater, about 140degrees or greater, or even about 150 degrees or greater. The screenportion may be at an angle relative to the septum portion of about 180degrees or less, about 170 degrees or less, or even about 160 degrees orless. The angle may be measured as the angle between the surfaces facingtoward the litter bed, lower chamber, base, interior of the chamber, orany combination thereof. The screen portion may be free of attachment tothe chamber. The screen portion may only be affixed to the chamber viathe septum portion. The screen portion may move (e.g., swing) and/orremain substantially static relative to the hinge, septum portion, orboth during a cleaning cycle, rotation of the chamber, or both. Thescreen portion may include one or more openings, such as a plurality ofopenings. The screen portion may be ribbed, grated, corrugated, slotted,meshed, the like, or any combination thereof. The plurality of openingsmay be sized such as to allow for unused (e.g., clean) litter to passtherethrough while waste, used litter, clumps, lumps, and/or the likeare prevented from passing through. The plurality of openings in thescreen portion may allow for litter to be sifted through during acleaning cycle so as to separate waste from the unused litter. Theseptum may be comprised of a suitable material. The material may benon-stick; liquid impenetrable; resistant to damage, penetration, scentabsorption, stain, or a combination thereof by litter, waste, liquids,solids, semi-solids, or a combination thereof. The septum material maybe rubber, polymeric material, a synthetic material, a natural material,or any or a combination thereof. The septum may be made of the samematerial or differing materials. For example, the living hinge, septumportion, and screen portion may be comprised of the same one or morematerials.

The litter device may include one or more seals. One or more seals mayfunction to prevent odor from transferring from a base, waste drawer, orboth to the chamber, about the chamber, an exterior of the litterdevice, or any combination thereof. The one or more seals may includeany seals capable of forming a sealing a junction between two or moresurfaces to prevent malodors, liquid, waste, and/or litter from passingtherethrough. The one or more seals may include one or more mechanicalseals. The one or more mechanical seals may include one or moreadhesives, sealants, gaskets, compressing fittings, plugs, the like, orany combination thereof. One or more gaskets may include one or moreflange gaskets, O-ring gaskets, brush seals, the like, or anycombination thereof. The one or more seals may be located between one ormore mating surfaces, at a junction of two or more surfaces, or both.The one or more seals may be part of the chamber, base, litterdispenser, ventilation system, the like, or any combination thereof. Theone or more seals may be located between mating surfaces of a wastedrawer and base. The one or more seals may be located between a matingsurface of a waste bin and a chamber support. The one or more matingsurfaces may be about a perimeter of the waste bin, opening of thechamber support, or both where the waste bin contacts the chambersupport. One or more seals may be located between a chamber and a base.One or more seals may seal a gap between a chamber and a chambersupport. One or more seals may be located between a base frame and awaste drawer. One or more seals may be located where a waste drawermates with a drawer opening One or more seals may be located about aperimeter of the drawer opening, a reciprocal portion of the wastedrawer, or both. One or more seals may still allow movement for one ormore components while preventing leakage while in a static position. Theone or more seals may allow for the waste drawer to be removed from abase, chamber to rotate, or both. The one or more seals may be comprisedof one or more seal materials. One or more seal materials may includerubber, silicone, metal, paper, cork, felt, neoprene, nitrile rubber,fiberglass, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), plastic polymers such aspolychlorotrifluoroethylene, the like, or a combination thereof.

The litter device may include a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism mayfunction to rotate a chamber, drive a track, or both; produce movementof a cleaning cycle; or a combination thereof. The drive mechanism maybe any suitable mechanism for rotating and/or engaging with a chamber,track, or both. The drive mechanism may be engaged, in rotationalcommunication, or both with the track. The drive mechanism may includeone or more cogs, pulleys, sprockets, gears, belts, direct drives,motors, drive shafts, the like, or any combination thereof. The drivemechanism may include a drive source. The drive source may convertelectrical energy into mechanical energy. The drive source may beconfigured to be in electrical communication with a power source. Apower source may be an outlet, direct current, alternating current, thelike, or a combination thereof. A drive source may be a motor or otherpower supply. The drive source may be an electronic motor, pneumaticpower supply, hydraulic power supply, another power supply, or acombination thereof. The drive source may transfer or produce torque ina drive shaft. The drive source may include a drive shaft. The driveshaft may receive torque from the drive source, output torque, or both.The drive shaft may be in communication with the drive source. The driveshaft may be rotationally affixed to the drive source. The drive source,drive shaft, or both may be in rotational communication with one or moregears. The drive source, drive shaft, or both may transfer torque and/ordrive one or more gears. The one or more gears may be configured toengage and/or mate with a track. The one or more gears may transfertorque, drive, or both a track. The one or more gears may include apinion, spur gear, helical gear, internal gear, the like, or acombination thereof. The drive mechanism may be comprised of materialswhich are resistant to moisture, vapor, fumes, and the like. Examples ofmaterials that can be used are rubber, plastic, metal, ceramic, or acombination thereof. The drive mechanism may be partially or completelylocated within a base, base frame, chamber support, or a combinationthereof. The drive mechanism may be physically separated from the drawercavity such that litter and waste are prevented from coming into contactwith the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism may reside in a pocketwithin the chamber support. The drive mechanism may reside in thechamber support on a side opposite of the waste drawer, a same side asthe chamber, or both. The chamber support may be an isolated mount.

The automated litter device may include one or more sensors. The one ormore sensors may function to detect one or more conditions of thedevice. The one or more sensors may be located in any one or moreportions of the litter device which may allow for a sensor to detect thepresence and/or absence of one or more conditions of the one or morecomponents. One or more sensors may be located adjacent to an entryopening, in proximity and/or affixed to a drive source, near one or morepinch points, part of a bonnet, part of base, within or affixed to thechamber, or any combination thereof. One or more sensors may be locatedwithin or on a bezel. One or more sensors may be located adjacent to anentry opening, opposite the base, a same side of a chamber as a wasteopening, same side of a chamber as an upper chamber, or any combinationthereof. One or more sensors may be located on a sensor board within abezel. The angle of the opening plane relative to a vertical plane mayresult in one or more sensors being located over the litter, having aline of sight into the litter, over a hollow interior of the chamber,having a line of sight in a hollow interior, or any combination thereof.Based on the one or more conditions sensed, one or more sensors maytransit one or more signals to one or more controllers, processors,communication modules, computing devices, or any combination thereof.The one or more sensors may be a single sensor or a plurality ofsensors. One or more sensors may include 1 or more, 2 or more, or even 3or more sensors. One or more sensors may include 15 or less, 12 or less,10 or less, 9 or less, 8 or less, 7 or less, or even 5 or less sensors.One or more sensors may be adapted to detect one or more conditionsrelated to: a mass, change in mass, or both of the litter device; apresence of litter, the amount of litter, or both; a presence of waste,a level of waste, or both; the presence of light, light above, at,and/or below a lumen level, or a combination thereof; a connectionbetween two or more components of the device (e.g., support base andbonnet); the presence of one or more pinch conditions; one or morepositions of a chamber; an operating condition of a motor; presence ofan animal within one or more portions of the litter device; or anycombination thereof. One or more sensors may be adapted to sense thepresence of an animal within a chamber, the presence of waste within awaste bin in a base, a level of litter in a chamber, a position of thechamber relative to the base, or any combination thereof. One or moresensors may be adapted to sense the presence of an animal within thelitter device and within a portion other than the chamber. One or moresensors may be able to sense presence, measure distance, measure adisplacement, detection a position relative to one or more components ofthe automated litter device, or any combination thereof. One or moresensors may include one or more mass sensors, capacitive sensors,infrared sensors, laser sensors, ultrasonic sensors, membrane sensors,radio frequency (RF) admittance sensors, conductive sensors, opticalinterface sensors, microwave sensors, the like, or combination thereof.One or more laser sensors may include one or more cone laser sensors.One or more cone laser sensors may include one or more wide cone lasersensors, narrow cone laser sensors, or both. The one or more sensors mayinclude one or more waste sensors (e.g., indicator), presence sensors,light sensors, interlock sensors, pinch detectors, position sensors,motor sensors (e.g., one or more laser sensors, distance sensors,) orany combination thereof. One or more sensors may provide the function ofmultiple sensors. For example, one or more waste sensors may also be oneor more presence sensors. One or more exemplary sensors may be discussedin U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,094; and US Patent Application Publication Nos.2013/0333625 and 2019/0364840, incorporated herein by reference.

The litter device may include one or more waste sensors. The one or morewaste sensors may function to detect a predetermined level, a real-timelevel, or both of waste, litter, or both (e.g., contents) within a wastedrawer, chamber, or both. The one or more waste sensors may be locatedanywhere within the litter device such that the one or more wastesensors may sense a level of contents within a waste drawer. The one ormore waste sensors may be located in and/or on a base, waste drawer,chamber, bezel, in proximity to an entry opening, or a combinationthereof. The one or more waste sensors may include a single sensor aplurality of sensors. The one or more waste sensors may include 1 ormore, 2 or more, or even 3 or more sensors. The one or more wastesensors may include 5 or less or even 4 or less sensors. For example,the one or more waste sensors may include a single sensor. As anotherexample, the one or more waste sensors may include 2 sensors. As anotherexample, the one or more waste sensors may include 3 sensors. The one ormore waste sensors may be any type of sensor suitable for detecting,and/or monitoring a level of contents within a waste drawer. Onesuitable waste sensor is one or more laser sensors. Some suitable wastesensor and configurations may be that of one or more indicators asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,433,185.

Exemplary combinations of one or more waste sensors may include two ormore infrared sensors opposing one another, one or more laser beams, alaser beam sensor and infrared sensor combination, the like, or anycombination thereof. One or more waste sensors may be located within,on, or in proximity to a waste drawer. Alternatively, or in addition, tosensing the presence of waste, one or more waste sensors may sense thepresence of an animal at least partially within a waste drawer. Onewaste sensor may include a light beam transmitter and one waste sensormay include a light beam detector. The light beam transmitter may relaya light beam to the light beam detector such that the light beam isdetected. A waste drawer may be indicated as at least partially fullonce the waste within the drawer interferes with the light beam, suchthat the light beam is no longer detected by the light beam detector.The presence of an animal within a waste drawer may be indicated when atleast a portion of the animal interferes with the light beam, such thatthe light beam is no longer detected by the light beam detector.

Another example of a waste sensor may include one or more laser sensorsaffixed near an entry opening of the chamber, an interior upper surfaceof a bezel, an interior upper surface of the chamber opposite a wastedrawer, or any combination thereof. The one or more waste sensors may beassembled to a bezel, located in a gap of a bezel, on a sensor mount ofa bezel, part of a sensor board, or any combination thereof. The one ormore laser sensors may include one or more cone laser sensors. One ormore cone laser sensors may include a single or a plurality of conelaser sensors. One or more cone laser sensors may include one or morewide cone laser sensors, narrow cone laser sensors, or a combinationthereof. As an example, the one or more waste sensors may include twowide cone laser sensors and one narrow cone laser sensor. As anotherexample, the one or more waste sensors may include one narrow cone lasersensor. The one or more waste sensors may be arranged in proximity toone or more presence sensors. For example, the one or more waste sensorsmay be arranged on a same sensor board as one or more presence sensors.The one or more waste sensors may be arranged with one or more presencesensors to form an array (line), cross, triangle, square, circle, thelike, or a combination thereof on a sensor board. For example, a wastesensor may be located between two presence sensors on the sensor board.The one or more laser sensors may be arranged to have a line of sightinto a waste drawer. The one or more sensors may be located on an upperportion of a bezel (e.g., opposite a base) to have a line of sight intothe chamber, the waste opening, or both. The line of sight may beenabled by an angle of the opening plane, rotational axis of thechamber, or both. The line of sight may be enabled by the size and shapeof the entry opening. The one or more sensors may have a line a sightover a waste drawer, waste bin, opening of a chamber support, surface ofa litter bed, or any combination thereof. The one or more laser sensorsmay have a line of sight onto a surface of a litter bed in a chamberwhen the chamber is in a home position. The one or more laser sensorsmay have line of sight into a waste bin when a waste opening is alignedwith a waste drawer. The chamber may rotate such that the waste openingis aligned with the waste drawer. This alignment may occur during acleaning cycle, when a chamber is in an emptying position, or both.

The litter device may include one or more presence sensors. The one ormore presence sensors may function to monitor a mass in the litterdevice, such as a mass within the chamber; a presence of an animalwithin the litter device; a level of litter within the chamber; or anycombination thereof. A presence sensor may continuously, intermittently,or both monitor a mass, presence, litter level, or any combinationthereof. The presence sensor may be located at any location in thedevice so that any change in mass of the litter device, change inpresence of an animal within the device, or both may be detected. Thepresence sensor may be located at a location in the device so thatrotation of the chamber may be prevented if additional mass over apredetermined mass is located within the chamber, if an animal isdetected within the chamber, or both. The predetermined mass may be amass over a mass of litter within a unit, a mass set by a user, below amass of an animal, or any combination thereof. The presence sensor mayinclude one or more resistors, force sensors, switches, controllers,microprocessors, laser sensors, or a combination thereof. The one ormore presence sensors may be located anywhere within the litter devicesuch that the one or more presence sensors may detect the presence of ananimal within the chamber, may detect a level of litter within thechamber, or both. The one or more presence sensors may be located inand/or on a base, chamber, bezel, in proximity to an entry opening, or acombination thereof. The one or more presence sensors may include asingle sensor a plurality of sensors. The one or more presence sensorsmay include 1 or more, 2 or more, or even 3 or more sensors. The one ormore presence sensors may include 5 or less or even 4 or less sensors.For example, the one or more presence sensors may include a singlesensor. For example, the one or more presence sensors may include 2sensors. As another example, the one or more presence sensors mayinclude 3 sensors. The one or more presence sensors may be any type ofsensor suitable for detecting the presence of an animal, the level oflitter, or both. One suitable presence sensor is one or more lasersensors. An example of a suitable presence sensor and configurationwithin a litter device may be the mass sensor as described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,433,185.

One or more presence sensors may include one or more laser sensorsaffixed near an entry opening of the chamber, an interior upper surfaceof a bezel, an interior upper surface of the chamber opposite a wastedrawer, or any combination thereof. The one or more waste sensors may beassembled to a bezel, located in a gap of a bezel, on a sensor mount ofa bezel, part of a sensor board, or any combination thereof. The one ormore presence sensors may include, be separate from, be the same as, beadjacent to, be in proximity to, or a combination thereof one or morewaste sensors. The one or more laser sensors may include one or morecone laser sensors. One or more cone laser sensors may include a singleor a plurality of cone laser sensors. One or more cone laser sensors mayinclude one or more wide cone laser sensors, narrow cone laser sensors,or a combination thereof. One or more cone laser sensors may include twowide cone laser sensors, a single narrow cone laser sensor, or acombination thereof. For example, one or more presence sensors mayinclude two wide cone laser sensors. As another example, one or morepresence sensors may include two wide cone laser sensors and a narrowcone laser sensor. One or more of the presence sensors may also be orfunction as one or more waste sensors. For example, a narrow cone lasersensor may be both a presence sensor and a waste sensor. As analternative, one or more presence sensors may not function as wastesensors. The one or more presence sensors may be arranged in proximityto one or more waste sensors. For example, the one or more presencesensors may be arranged on a same sensor board as one or more wastesensors. The one or more presence sensors may be arranged with one ormore waste sensors to form an array (line), cross, triangle, square,circle, the like, or a combination thereof on a sensor board. Forexample, two presence sensors may have a waste sensor therebetween. Theone or more laser sensors may be arranged to have a line of sight intoan interior of the chamber, across an entry opening, over all or amajority of an upper surface of a litter bed, or any combinationthereof. The line of sight may be enabled by an angle of the openingplane, rotational axis of the chamber, or both. The line of sight may beenabled by the size and shape of the entry opening. The one or moresensors may have a line of sight onto a majority of an exposed surfaceof the litter. The line of sight over the exposed surface may allow forthe one or more sensors to detect a presence of an animal in most anypart of the chamber, the litter level, or both. The line of sight overthe majority of the exposed surface may allow for accounting for anuneven surface of the litter. The presence sensor may sense the presenceof an animal entering and/or exiting the chamber by a beam breaking atan entry opening, a laser breaking above an upper surface of a litterbed, and/or the like.

The one or more cone laser sensors may have a sensing range of 0.1 m orgreater, 0.2 m or greater, 0.3 m or greater, or even 0.5 m or greater.The one or more cone laser sensors may have a sensing range of 5 m orless, 4 m or less, 3 m or less, 2 m or less, or even 1 m or less. Theone or more cone laser sensors may have a sensing range suitable fromsensing a distance approximately equal to a height or less than a heightof the litter device. A height of the litter device may be measured fromthe surface upon which the device rests to the opposing exterior surfaceof a bonnet. It may be beneficial to have one or more cone laser sensorswith a sensing range which suitable from sensing from a sensor board toa bottom of a waste drawer. The one or more cone laser sensors mayoperate at a frequency suitable for detecting the presence of an objectdistanced from the sensor itself. The one or more cone laser sensors mayhave a ranging frequency of about 1 Hz or more, 10 Hz or more, 30 Hz ormore, 40 Hz or more, or even 50 Hz or more. The one or more cone lasersensors may have a ranging frequency of about 300 Hz or less, about 200Hz or less, about 150 Hz or less, about 100 Hz or less, or even about 75Hz or less. The one or more cone laser sensors have a field of viewwhich is substantially cylindrical, conical, or both. A conical field ofview may be advantageous as it provides a wider viewing range across asurface of a litter bed, within a waste drawer, across an interior of achamber, or any combination thereof. A conical field of view may beabout 5 degrees or more, about 10 degrees or more, about 15 degrees ormore, about 20 degrees or more, or even about 25 degrees or more. Aconical field of view may be about 150 degrees or less, about 120degrees or less, about 100 degrees or less, about 75 degrees or less, oreven about 60 degrees or less. A wide cone laser sensor may have alarger field of view than a narrow cone laser sensor. A narrow conelaser sensor may have a field of view of about 5 degrees or more, 7degrees or more, 10 degrees or more, or even 12 degrees or more. Anarrow cone laser sensor may have a field of view of about 25 degrees orless, about 20 degrees or less, about 17 degrees or less, or even about15 degrees or less. For example, a narrow cone laser sensor may have afield of view of about 5 degrees to about 15 degrees. A wide cone lasersensor may have a field of view of about 20 degrees or more, about 25degrees or more, about 30 degrees or more, or even about 35 degrees ormore. A wide cone laser sensor may have a field of view of about 100degrees or less, about 75 degrees or less, about 50 degrees or less, oreven about 40 degrees or less. For example, a wide cone laser sensor mayhave a field of view of about 20 degrees to about 50 degrees, or evenabout 25 degrees to about 40 degrees. One or more cone laser sensors mayinclude one or more Time-of-Flight (TOF), laser-ranging sensors. Asuitable sensor for one or more cone laser sensors may include theTime-of-Flight sensor VL53L1X by STMicroelectronics.

The litter device may include one or more position sensors. The one ormore position sensors may monitor a position of a chamber. A position ofa chamber may be a home position, emptying position, any positiontherebetween, a position during a cleaning cycle, or any combinationthereof. The one or more position sensors may be any sensor that maydetect a position of a chamber relative to a base, a waste drawer, abonnet, or any combination thereof. The one or more sensors may includeone or more Hall effect sensors, laser sensors, the like, or acombination thereof. One or more exemplary position sensors andconfigurations within a litter device may be as described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,433,185. The one or more position sensors may include, be the sameas, be separate from, be adjacent to, be in proximity to, or acombination thereof one or more waste sensors, presence sensors, or acombination thereof. The one or more laser sensors may detect rotationof a chamber. The one or more laser sensors may remain steady and/orstatic relative to a chamber during a cleaning cycle. The one or morelaser sensors may be affixed near an entry opening of the chamber, aninterior upper surface of a bezel, an interior upper surface of thechamber opposite a waste drawer, or any combination thereof. The one ormore laser sensors may include one or more cone laser sensors. One ormore cone laser sensors may include one or more wide cone laser sensors,narrow cone laser sensors, or a combination thereof.

The litter device may include one or more light sensors. The one or morelight sensors may function to detect a light level within the litterdevice, about the outside surface of the litter device (e.g., ambientlight), or both. The one or more light sensors may be any sensorsuitable for detecting light within the litter device, outside of thelitter device, or both. The one or more light sensors may be any sensorsuitable for detecting a light reading below a predetermined lumenlevel. The one or more light sensors may be in direct or indirectconnection with one or more lights. Reading of a light level below apredetermined lumen level may cause one or more lights within the litterdevice to turn on. The one or more light sensors may cooperate with oneor more other sensors, such as a mass (e.g., presence) sensor. One ormore lights within the litter device may turn on if a light level belowa predetermined lumen level is detected by one or more light sensors anda mass above a predetermined mass level is detected by one or more masssensors. Exemplary suitable light sensors and configurations within alitter device may be as described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,433,185.

The litter device may include one or more interlock sensors. The one ormore interlock sensors may detect a connection, broken connection, orboth between a bonnet and a support base. The one or more interlocksensors may detect if one or both sides, retaining clips, or both arepartially removed, completely removed, or both. The one or moreinterlock sensors may sense power being supplied or not supplied to abonnet through one or more connection points to the support base. Theone or more interlock sensors may include one or more low currentelectrical sensors. One or more exemplary interlock sensors andconfigurations within a litter device may be as described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,433,185.

The litter device may include one or more pinch detectors. The one ormore pinch detectors may detect the presence of one or more pinchconditions. The one or more pinch detectors may be located anywherewithin the litter device suitable for detecting one or more pinchconditions. The one or more pinch detectors may be located proximate toany pinch points within the litter device. One or more pinch detectorsmay be located within a litter device so that a pinch detector iscontacted before an edge of the chamber, the waste opening, the supportbase, the bonnet, the waste drawer, any other components of the litterdevice, or a combination thereof. One or more exemplary pinch detectorsand configurations within a litter device may be as described in U.S.Pat. No. 9,433,185.

The litter device may include one or more motor sensors. The one or moremotor sensors may monitor functionality of one or more drive sourceslocated within the litter device. The one or more motor sensors may beany sensor which may detect a position, torque, temperature, speed, thelike, or any combination thereof of one or more drive sources (e.g.,motor) within the litter device. The one or more sensors may include oneor more position sensors, laser sensors, torque sensors, temperaturesensors, speed sensors, the like, or any combination thereof. The one ormore motor sensors may detect one or more operating conditions of adrive source. One or more operating conditions may include position,torque, temperature, speed, the like, or a combination thereof of theone or more drive sources. The one or more motor sensors may cooperatewith one or more processors and/or controllers to compare one or moredetected operating conditions to one or more pre-determined operatingconditions. One or more pre-determined operating conditions may be theoperating condition values determined as suitable for the one or moredrive source. If a detected operating condition is outside the range ofan acceptable pre-determined operating condition, a cleaning cycle maybe prevented, the litter device may send an alert to a user, and/or thelike.

The automated litter device may include one or more controllers. The oneor more controllers may function to receive one or more signals,transmit one or more signals, control operations of one or morecomponents of the litter device, or a combination thereof. The one ormore controllers may be in communication with one or more sensors, drivemechanisms, control panels, user interfaces, the like, or anycombination thereof. The one or more controllers may be adapted toreceive, transmit, or both one or more signals from the one or moresensors, drive mechanisms, control panels, user interfaces, the like, ora combination thereof. The one or more controllers may reside within orbe in communication with the litter device. The one or more controllersmay be located within or affixed to a base, chamber, or both. The one ormore controllers may include one or more controllers, microcontrollers,microprocessors, processors, storage mediums, or a combination thereof.One or more suitable controllers may include one or more controllers,microprocessors, or both as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,757,094; and9,433,185.

Cleaning Cycle

The litter device may complete one or more cleaning cycles. A cleaningcycle may function to transfer waste from within a chamber into a base,waste drawer, or combination thereof. A cleaning cycle may function tosort clean litter (e.g., unused litter) from waste, used litter, clumps,lumps, or any combination thereof. A cleaning cycle may be initiatedafter one or more presence sensors sense an animal has exited thechamber, waste has been deposited within the chamber, a user hasinitiated a cleaning cycle, or any combination thereof. A cleaning cyclemay begin with rotation of a chamber. A chamber may be driven by atrack, drive mechanism, or both. A chamber may be driven by a trackaffixed thereto. The track may be driven by a drive mechanism. Thechamber may rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, or both. Rotationdirection may be determined by the location of the septum, the screenportion relative to the septum portion, a waste opening, or acombination thereof. During a cleaning cycle, the chamber may rotatefrom a home position to an emptying position, from an emptying positionto a home position, from an emptying position to a leveling position,from a home position to a leveling position, from a leveling position toa home position, or any combination thereof. For example, a cleaningcycle may comprise rotation of the chamber from a home position to anemptying position, from the emptying position to a leveling position,and from the leveling position back to the home position. Rotation fromthe emptying position to the leveling position may include passing thehome position. The home position may be a resting position of thechamber suitable for an animal to use the litter device. The emptyingposition may allow for waste to transfer to a waste drawer. In theemptying position the waste opening may be aligned with the wastedrawer. The leveling position may allow for litter to level itself alonga bottom chamber, liner, or both before returning to a home position.

Rotation of the chamber may be about the rotational axis of the chamber.The chamber may rotate during a cleaning cycle by about 10 degrees ormore, 20 degrees or more, 30 degrees or more, about 50 degrees or more,about 90 degrees or more, about 100 degrees or more, about 180 degreesor more, about 205 degrees or more, about 245 degrees or more, or evenabout 270 or more. The chamber may rotate by about 540 degrees or less,about 500 degrees or less, about 400 degrees or less, or even about 360degrees or less. The chamber may rotate in a single direction or twodirections about the rotational axis. The chamber may rotate in a firstdirection, second direction, or both. The first direction may becounterclockwise, clockwise, or both. The second direction may beclockwise, counterclockwise, or both. The second direction may beopposite the first direction. Clockwise and counterclockwise may bedetermined by facing toward the entry opening from outside of the litterdevice. The chamber may rotate in either direction a single time or aplurality of times. The chamber may rotate in a first direction and thena second direction. The chamber may rotate in a second direction andthen a first direction. The chamber may rotate in a first direction thena second direction and again in a first direction. The chamber mayrotate in a first direction from a home position to and/or past anemptying position, from an emptying position toward a home position,from a leveling position to a home position, or a combination thereof.The chamber may rotate in a second direction from an emptying positionto and/or past a home position, from the emptying position to a levelingposition, from a home position to a leveling position, or anycombination thereof. For example, the chamber may rotate in a firstdirection from a home position to an emptying position, then in a seconddirection from an emptying position to a leveling position (e.g., pastthe home position), and then in the first direction from the levelingposition back to the home position. For example, the chamber may rotatebetween about 160 degrees and about 220 degrees, or even between about180 degrees and 210 degrees, in a first direction from a home positionto an emptying position. For example, the chamber may rotate about 170degrees to about 265 degrees, or even between about 200 degrees and 245degrees, in a second direction (e.g., opposite as first direction) froman emptying position to a leveling position. For example, the chambermay rotate about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees, or even about 20degrees to about 40 degrees, in a first direction from a levelingposition to a home position. An example of how the chamber may rotatemay be described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,094 and US Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2013/0333625, incorporated herein by reference. Anotherexemplary explanation of how a cleaning cycle may function may also befound in US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0364840,incorporated herein by reference.

During a cleaning cycle, a septum may sift through the litter within thechamber. The septum may divide unused litter from waste. During acleaning cycle, rotation of the chamber may result in the septumrotating towards the litter. The screen portion of a septum may leadwhile the septum portion of the septum may trail toward the litter.

During the beginning of a cleaning cycle, the chamber may rotatecounterclockwise, in a first direction, from a home position to anemptying position, or any combination thereof. During this rotation, thewaste opening and septum may move closer to the waste drawer. Due togravity, the litter may come into contact with the septum. The littermay first come into contact with the screen portion. Upon contact withthe litter, the screen portion may initially be located between thelitter and the inner wall of the chamber. As the screen portion movestoward and into the litter, the screen portion may sift through thelitter and separate waste and other large particles from the unusedlitter. Clean, unused litter may pass through the plurality of openingsof the screen portion toward an inner wall of the chamber. Waste andother large particles remain on a side of the screen portion facingtoward the interior of the chamber. As the chamber continues to rotatein the first direction, the waste transfers (e.g., slides across) fromthe screen portion to the septum portion due to gravity. When the wasteopening and septum opening align with the waste bin in an emptyingposition, the waste may be funneled from resting on the septum portiontoward the septum opening, then through the septum opening and wasteopening, and then into the waste bin. During the cleaning cycle, byseparating the waste from the unused litter, the waste may be able to befunneled toward the septum opening, waste opening, or both for disposalinto a waste drawer while unused litter may be able to be reused.

After the cleaning cycle reaches the emptying position, the chamber mayrotate in a second direction, opposite the first direction, clockwise,from an emptying position toward a home position, from an emptyingposition to a leveling position, or any combination thereof. As thechamber may rotate in the second direction, the litter (e.g., unusedlitter) may move toward the screen portion of the septum. As the chamberrotates in the second direction, the litter (e.g., unused litter) maymove under the screen portion, between the screen portion and an innerwall of the chamber, through a plurality of openings of the screenportion, or any combination thereof. As the chamber rotates in thesecond direction, the litter may move back to rest on a lower portion ofthe chamber (e.g., lower chamber, liner, or both).

During a cleaning cycle, the chamber may rotate in a second directiontoward a leveling position, past a home position toward a levelingposition, or both. The leveling position may allow for the litter tolevel itself on the lower chamber, liner, or both. The leveling positionmay allow for the litter to overcome surface friction with the liner,inner wall of the chamber, or both. The leveling position may allow forthe litter to return to an angle of repose.

During a cleaning cycle, the chamber may then rotate in a firstdirection from the leveling position back to a home position. Returningto the home position may allow for an animal to once again use thelitter device.

The septum may function as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,094 and USPatent Application Publication No. 2013/0333625, incorporated herein byreference.

Filter System

The present teachings also relate to a filtering system. The filteringsystem may function to prevent, reduce, neutralize, and/or eveneliminate odor from air passing therethrough from the litter device. Thefiltering system may have any size, shape, and/or configuration forreducing or even eliminating malodor associated with animal waste. Thefiltering system may be an active system, passive system, or both. Anactive system may be one that moves air to reduce or eliminate odor. Apassive system may be one that absorbs malodor. The reduction of malodormay occur through eliminating bacteria causing the odor, filtering theodor, cooling the air to reduce the odor, or any combination thereof.The filtering system may include one or more air circulation devices,filters, light treatment devices, heat exchange devices, the like, or acombination thereof. One or more light treatment devices may be anyenergy source suitable for killing bacteria waste which causes amalodor. A suitable light treatment device may include one or moreultraviolet lights. One or more heat exchange devices may function tochange an air temperature of air within a filtering system, such asreducing the air temperature. Cooling the air may suppress growth ofbacteria associated with malodors. One or more heat exchange devices mayinclude one or more thermoelectric devices (TED). One or morethermoelectric devices may include one or more Peltier devices. One ormore filters may include one or more physical filters. One or morephysical filters may be any filter suitable for absorbing malodor fromair as the air passes through the filter. One or more physical filtersmay include zeolite, charcoal, nylon wool, synthetic wool, silica gel,baking powder, the like, or a combination thereof. The filtering systemmay be part of the litter device, affixed to the litter device, withinthe litter device, part of an exterior of the litter device, or anycombination thereof. A filtering system may be located between a chamberand a base, adjacent to a base, within the base, part of the chamber,outside of the base, outside of the chamber, or any combination thereof.The filtering system may be affixed to the chamber, the base, or both.The filtering system may be located generally opposite a waste openingof a chamber, adjacent to a waste bin, opposite a waste drawer opening,outside of the base, adjacent to an exterior wall of a base frame, orany combination thereof. The filtering system may be free of, mayinclude, be part of, or combination thereof a ventilation system. Thefiltering system may include one or more housings, physical filters,caps, ventilation systems, ducts, the like, or any combination thereof.

The filtering system may include one or more housings. The one or morehousings may function to house one or more components of the filteringsystem, be affixed to one or more components of the filtering system, bein fluid communication with the waste cavity and/or waste drawer, or acombination thereof. The housing may have any size, shape, and orconfiguration suitable for housing one or more components of thefiltering system. The housing may be located within the litter device,outside of the litter device, affixed to the litter device, or anycombination thereof. The housing may be affixed to a chamber, base, oneor more ducts, or any combination thereof. The housing may be part of orseparate from the chamber, base, or both. The housing may be formed inthe chamber. The housing may be formed as an indentation within anexterior wall of the chamber. The housing may be referred to as a filtercavity. The housing may be formed in a lower chamber. The housing may belocated adjacent to a waste drawer, waste bin, opening of a chambersupport, or any combination thereof. While the chamber is in a homeposition, the housing may be in fluid communication with the waste binso as to allow the malodors to flow from the waste bin to the housing.The indentation may provide a hollow void to store one or more physicalfilters. A physical filter may have a shape substantially reciprocalwith the hollow void, filter cavity, contour of a portion of thechamber, or any combination thereof. The housing may include a cap. Thecap may close off the indentation and retain the filter within thehousing. The cap may include a plurality of openings. The plurality ofopenings may allow for malodors from a waste drawer to enter into thehousing and be absorbed by one or more physical filters. The housing maybe formed outside of the litter device. The housing may be any suitableshape for being located beside and/or adjacent to the base of the litterdevice. The housing may be in fluid communication with the base by oneor more ducts.

The litter device may be affixed to and/or include a ventilation system.The ventilation system may function to circulate air through one or morefiltering systems, filters, or both. The ventilation system may have anysize, shape, and/or configuration for ventilating air from a wastedrawer, base, or both of a litter device; directing air toward afiltering system; directing air from a filtering system toward a litterdevice; or any combination thereof. The ventilation system may includeone or more ducts, inflows, outflows, ports, air circulation devices,housings, or any combination thereof. The one or more air circulationdevices may be located within, separate from, or both the housing of thefiltering system. The one or more air circulation devices may includeone or more fans, air pumps, the like, or any combination thereof. Theone or more air circulation devices may move air from, to, or both oneor more ducts. The one or more air circulation devices may be located inone or more exterior walls, within an interior, or both of a housing,duct, or any combination thereof. The ventilation system may beconnected to a part of a litter device by the one or more ducts. Theventilation system may be one or more ducts.

The ventilation system may include one or more ducts. The one or moreducts may function to provide a passageway for and/or guide air toand/or from the litter device, to and/or from a filtering system, or anycombination thereof. The one or more ducts may provide an outflow,inflow, or both. The one or more ducts may have any shape, size, and/orconfiguration to be affixed to a base, filtering system, housing, thelike, or a combination thereof. The one or more ducts may include asingle duct or a plurality of ducts. The one or more ducts may includean inflow, outflow, or both. An outflow may receive air from a base,waste drawer, or both. An outflow may deliver air into a housing,filtering system, an exterior environment, or a combination thereof. Aninflow may receive air from a housing, filtering system, or both. Aninflow may deliver air into a base, waste drawer, an exteriorenvironment, or any combination thereof. The one or more ducts may be influid communication with the base, waste drawer, or both via one or moreports. A duct may be connected to a base via one or more ports. A ductmay be located within, affixed to, or both a port. The one or more ductsmay provide a closed loop ventilation system, an open loop ventilationsystem, or both. In a closed loop ventilation system, air iscontinuously circulated internal to the filtering system and litterdevice. In an exemplary closed loop ventilation system, air iscirculated from the base, waste drawer, or both to an outflow duct; fromthe outflow duct to a housing for filtering; from a housing to an inflowduct; and from the inflow duct to the waste drawer. In an open loopventilation system, air is delivered to an exterior environment, theventilation system may not recirculate air into the litter device, orboth. An exterior environment may be any environment physically outsideof the litter device (e.g., ambient environment), the outdoors, or both.To allow for ventilation to the outdoors, one or more ducts may connectto one or more window openings, door openings, or even vent openings ofa facility, such as a residential home. An open loop ventilation systemmay or may not include a filtering system. An open loop ventilationsystem may include a filtering system such that malodors are notreleased into an outdoor or ambient environment. In an exemplary openloop ventilation system, air moves from the base, waste drawer, or bothtoward to an outflow duct; from the outflow duct to a housing forfiltering; from a housing to an inflow duct; and from the inflow duct toan ambient or outdoor environment.

Litter Dispenser

The present teachings further relate to a litter dispenser. A litterdispenser may function to store clean, unused litter; refill a litterdevice, a chamber, or both with clean and unused litter; extend theusability of a litter device without human intervention; or anycombination thereof. The litter dispenser may have any size, shape,and/or configuration to be in fluid communication with an interior of achamber; affixed to a litter device, base, bonnet, chamber, or anycombination thereof; have the ability to transfer a portion of litterstored therein into a chamber; have the ability to store litter; or anycombination thereof. The litter device may include, be affixed to, or befree of a litter dispenser. The litter dispenser may be locatedgenerally opposite an entry opening. By being opposite the entryopening, the litter dispenser may not interfere with entry and exit byan animal, functionality with a septum and/or liner, or a combinationthereof. The litter dispenser may be particularly useful in extendingthe usability of a litter device without human intervention. Forexample, a waste drawer may have a waste storage capacity greater thanthe litter capacity in the chamber. Capacity may be measured in volume,usage frequency by an animal, or even days. As during a cleaning cycle,used litter is transferred into the waste drawer along with animalwaste, over time the usable litter may be depleted. The usable litter inthe chamber may be depleted before the waste drawer is full.Traditionally, a human would have to intervene and refill the chamberwith fresh litter for continued use of the litter device by an animal.The litter dispenser may be particularly advantageous in reducing humanintervention with the litter device. The litter dispenser mayautomatically deliver clean, unused litter into the chamber. The litterdispenser may deliver litter into the chamber once the litter within thechamber reaches a certain quantity (e.g., volume, height, etc.). Thelevel of litter within the chamber may be sensed by one or more sensors.For example, one or more presence sensors, waste sensors, or both maysense the quantity of litter within the chamber. The litter storedwithin the litter dispenser may be any kind of litter suitable for usewith the litter device. The litter dispenser may include a hopper, lid,dispenser housing, dispensing device, the like, or any combinationthereof.

The litter dispenser includes a hopper. The hopper may function toretain litter, a plurality of chamber volumes of litter, guide littertoward a dispensing housing and/or dispensing device, or any combinationthereof. The hopper may have a shape which is generally cubical,cylindrical, spherical, conical, prismed, cuboidal, the like, or anycombination thereof. For example, the hopper may have a shape which isgenerally a trapezoidal prism, conical, or the like. A shape may have alarger cross-sectional area adjacent to a rim and/or lid as compared toa smaller cross-sectional area closest to a dispensing device. A shapeof the hopper may be tapered. Tapering, and/or a reduced cross-sectionalarea may aid in funneling of litter toward a dispensing device. Thehopper may include a single or a plurality of side walls (e.g., hopperwalls). One or more side walls may include a shape reciprocal with oneor more contours of an exterior of a bonnet, chamber, or both. Forexample, a side wall adapted to be adjacent to a bonnet may be concave.The concave wall may match a convex and/or rounded shape of an exteriorwall of a bonnet. The reciprocal shape may allow the side wall to restdirectly adjacent to and in contact with the bonnet. The side walls maysurround a hollow interior of the hopper. The side walls may be affixedto and/or integral with a bottom wall of the hopper. The bottom wall mayfurther define a hollow interior of the hopper. A bottom wall of thehopper may be opposite an opening, rim, lid, or any combination thereof.The bottom wall may be partially or completely disposed within adispenser housing. The bottom wall may be generally planar, sloped, or acombination thereof. The bottom wall may have a shape which issubstantially conical, pyramidical, the like, or a combination thereof.The bottom wall may slope toward a funnel, an opening, a dispenserhousing, a dispensing device, or a combination thereof. The bottom wallmay slope away from an opening, rim, lid, or any combination thereof.

The litter dispenser may include a lid. The lid may function to protectlitter within the litter dispenser, restrict access into the hopper,allow temporary access into the hopper, or any combination thereof. Thelid may be removably affixed to a hopper. The lid may rest atop thehopper, partially in the hopper, or both. The lid may partially rest inthe hopper adjacent to the rim. The lid may be secured to the hopper viaone or more attachments. The one or more attachments may include afriction fit, snap fit, locks, lock tabs, biasing devices, the like, orany combination thereof. For example, a perimeter of the lid may have asnap fit with a perimeter (e.g., rim) of the hopper. As another example,the lid may include one or more locks which latch the lid to the hopper.The one or more biasing devices may include one or more springs. Aperimeter of the lid may fit partially or completely within an inside ofthe perimeter of the hopper. The perimeter may be defined, at leastpartially, by a rim about an opening. By the lid resting within thehopper and/or using one or more attachments to secure the lid, aperipheral edge of the lid is not able to be accessed. Accessibility mayrefer to an animal or child trying to lift the cover by a peripheraledge with their teeth, paws, hands, and/or the like, such as out ofcuriosity. By reducing accessibility, one or more animals or humans maybe prevented from accidentally or intentionally lifting the lid. The lidmay have a cross-sectional shape substantially similar to across-sectional shape of the hopper. The cross-sectional shape may referto one taken substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of thehopper, horizontal plane of the litter device, or both. Thecross-sectional shape of the lid may be square, rectangular,trapezoidal, elliptical, circular, crescent, triangular, the like, or acombination thereof. The lid may include an outer lid, inner lid, orboth. An outer lid and inner lid may cooperate together to form a lid,house one or more attachments, or both. The cover may be locatedopposite and/or adjacent to one or more walls of the hopper. The lid maybe located generally opposite a bottom wall. The lid may include ahandle.

The lid may include a handle. The handle may function to facilitateremoval of a lid, placement of a lid, or both. The handle may beintegral with or affixed to any portion of the lid. The handle may beincluded as part of an outer lid. The handle may be centered oroff-center relative to the lid. The handle may be centered to allow forcooperation within one or more attachments. The handle may have anysuitable shape allowing for placement, removal, or both of a lid fromthe hopper. The handle may be formed by one or more indentations,projections, or both in the lid. The lid may be formed by opposingindentations. The indentations may have any suitable shape for allowinggripping of a handle body. The indentations may have a cross-sectionalshape which may be substantially D-shaped, rectangular shaped,trapezoidal shaped, the like, or a combination thereof. Thecross-sectional shape may be taken at a cross-section substantiallyperpendicular to a longitudinal axis, horizontal plane, or both. Ahandle body may be a surface of the lid located between theindentations, projections, or both. As an example, opposing indentationsmay be distanced from one another to form a handle body therebetween.The lid may be held in place by one or more latches.

The lid may include one or more locks. The one or more locks may be anylock suitable for retaining a lid in place, preventing an animal fromremoving the lid, allowing a user to intentionally remove and re-affixthe lid, or a combination thereof. The one or more locks may be locatedin the lid, the hopper, or both. The one or more locks may include oneor more deflectable tabs with a snap fit; one or more spring-basedlocks; one or more threaded locks; the like; or a combination thereof.For example, the one or more locks may include a pinch-grip lock havingone or more biasing devices. A pinch-grip lock may include one or morelid latches. The one or more lid latches may reside at least partiallywithin the cover, between an outer lid and inner lid, or both. The oneor more lid latches may project outside of the cover and engage with thehopper. The one or more lid latches may engage one or more latchretainers formed in one or more side walls of the hopper. The one ormore retainers may be one or more openings, indentations, or both. Theone or more latch retainers may be biased into the one or more latchretainers by one or more biasing devices. One or more biasing devicesmay be any device suitable for biasing the lid latches toward theretainers, have the ability to retract the latches for the retainers, orboth. The one or more biasing devices may include one or more springs.For example, a spring may be located between two opposing lid latches.The spring may be compressed to allow the lid latches to disengage withthe retainers. The spring may expand in a relaxed state to bias the lidlatches into the retainers. The one or more locks may be locatedopposite a dispensing device.

The litter dispenser may include a dispensing device. The dispensingdevice may function to segregate a portion of the litter from thehopper; retain litter within the litter dispenser; transfer a portion ofthe litter from the hopper to the dispenser housing, chamber, or both;or a combination thereof. The dispensing device may be located in anyportion of the litter dispenser suitable for segregating litter from ahopper and transferring litter to a dispenser housing, chamber, or both.The dispensing housing may be located between a hopper and a chamber,within a dispenser housing, or both. The dispensing device may beconfigured to dispense a predetermined amount of litter from the hopperto the chamber. The dispensing device may include a drive source, driveshaft, hub, insert, paddle, the like, or a combination thereof. Thedispensing device may be configured to rotate in a single direction,plurality of directions (e.g., first and second directions opposing oneanother), or both. The dispensing device may have a resting mode, refillmode, or both. A resting mode may be the dispensing device held in astatic position to retain litter within the litter dispenser. A refillmode may be the dispensing device moving during a refill cycle totransfer litter from the hopper to the chamber. A refill cycle may bethe time period which the dispensing device is moving to transfer adesired amount of litter into the chamber.

The dispensing device may include a drive source. A drive source mayfunction to apply one or more dispensing forces, apply one or morereturn forces, move a dispensing device between one or more restingpositions to one or more dispensing positions, or a combination thereof.A drive source may be in rotational communication with a drive shaft,hub, insert, paddle, or a combination thereof. A drive source may drivea drive shaft, hub, insert, paddle, or a combination thereof. The drivesource may apply a first direction of torque, a second direction oftorque, or both to a drive shaft, hub, insert, paddle, or a combinationthereof. A drive source may be a motor or other power supply. The drivesource may be an electronic motor, pneumatic power supply, hydraulicpower supply, another power supply, or a combination thereof. The drivesource may be in electronic communication with one or more powersources. The drive source may be in electronic communication with one ormore sensors of the litter device. The drive source may be incommunication with one or more presence sensors. The one or morepresence sensors may detect a level of litter within the chamber. If thelevel of litter detected is below a required amount of litter, the drivesource may initiate rotation of a drive shaft, hub, paddle, fins, or anycombination thereof.

The dispensing device may include a drive shaft. A drive shaft mayfunction to transfer torque from a drive source to a hub, insert,paddle, or combination thereof. The drive shaft may be in rotatablecommunication with a drive source, hub, insert, paddle, or anycombination thereof. The drive source may rotate the drive shaft. Byapplying a first direction of torque, the drive shaft may rotation in afirst direction. By applying a second direction of torque, the driveshaft may rotate in a second direction. The drive shaft may pass througha hub, insert, paddle, or combination thereof. The drive shaft may bedirectly or indirectly engaged with the hub, insert, paddle, or acombination thereof. For example, the drive shaft may be rotationallyengaged with and received within a hollow interior of a hub. The driveshaft may have a friction fit, keyed fit, or the like with a hub. Thedrive shaft may have one or more engagement features which engage one ormore mating engagement features of a hub, insert, paddle, or anycombination thereof. For example, the drive shaft may include one ormore surfaces reciprocal with one or more surfaces of a hollow interiorof a hub. The drive shaft may have a flat surface and a rounded surfaceabout its periphery which align with a reciprocal flat surface androunded surface of a hollow interior of the hub.

The dispensing device may include a hub. The hub may function torotationally engage the paddle with a drive source and/or drive shaft,rotate a paddle, or both. The hub may be located between a hopper and achamber, within a dispenser housing, or both. The hub may be locatedwithin a dispenser cradle, adjacent to a dispensing opening, between afunnel opening and a dispensing opening, or a combination thereof. Thehub may have any suitable shape for cooperating with a drive source, adrive shaft, an insert, a paddle, or a combination thereof. A hub mayhave a shape which is generally cubical, cylindrical, spherical,conical, prismed, cuboidal, the like, or any combination thereof. A hubmay be hollow, partially hollow, solid, or a combination thereof. Thehub may have a hollow interior. The hub may have a shaft cavity formedtherein. The shaft cavity may extend from one end partially orcompletely to the opposing end of the hub. The shaft cavity may begenerally centered with the overall dispenser, hub, or both. The shaftcavity may have a shape reciprocal with that of a drive shaft. The shaftcavity may include one or more engagement features which engage with,mesh, or match with one or more engagement features of a drive shaft.The hub may be configured to at least partially rotate in one or moredirections, such as when driven by a drive source, drive shaft, or both.One or more directions may be opposing directions, a first direction, asecond direction, or a combination thereof. A rotational axis of the hubmay be co-axial, concentric, or off-center with a rotational axis of adrive source, drive shaft, or any combination thereof. A rotational axismay extend through the shaft cavity. A paddle may extend about a hub.The paddle may be integral with or affixed to the hub. The hub may haveone or more paddle engagement features. The one or more paddleengagement features may function to mate with a paddle, fins of apaddle, or both. The one or more paddle engagement features may includeone or more channels, slots, brackets, hinges, the like, or anycombination thereof for allowing attachment of one or more paddles,fins, both to the hub. One or more channels may be formed along at leasta portion of or all of a length of the hub. One or more channels mayinclude 1 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, 4 or more, or even 5 or morechannels. One or more channels may include 10 or less, 8 or less, oreven 7 or less channels. The number of channels may be equal to thenumber of fins in a paddle. One or more channels may be formed along anexterior surface of the hub about the shaft cavity. One or more channelsmay extend toward the shaft cavity, be in fluid communication with theshaft cavity, be distanced from the shaft cavity, or any combinationthereof. One or more channels may be parallel to a shaft cavity, mayfollow the shaft cavity across a length of the hub, or both. A pluralityof channels may be radially formed about the hub. A plurality ofchannels may be evenly spaced, unevenly spaced, or both about a hub. Oneor more channels may have any suitable shape for receiving and/orengaging a paddle, fins, or both. The one or more channels may engagewith an end of one or more fins of a paddle. The channel may have ashape substantially reciprocal with a portion of a paddle, fin, or both;such as an attached end of the fin. The channel may be V-Shaped,T-Shaped, the like, or a combination thereof. For example, the hub mayinclude a plurality of radially spaced channels which are T-shaped slotsalong a length of the hub.

The dispenser may include a paddle. The paddle may function to transferlitter from a hopper to a chamber, from a funnel opening to a dispensingopening, or both. The paddle may have any suitable size, shape, and/orconfiguration for transferring litter from the hopper to the chamber.The paddle may be configured to rotate during a refill cycle to transferlitter. The paddle may include one or more fins. The one or more finsmay include a single fin or a plurality of fins. One or more fins mayinclude 1 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, 4 or more, or even 5 or morefins. One or more fins may include 10 or less, 8 or less, or even 7 orless fins. A plurality of fins may be separate from each, attached toone another, integral with one another, or any combination thereof toform a paddle. For example, the paddle may have a rotational shafthaving a plurality of fins radially projecting therefrom. The rotationalshaft may be rotationally engaged with a hub, drive shaft, or both. Therotational shaft may receive and mate with the hub, drive shaft, or boththerein. As another example, the paddle may include a plurality of finsdirectly affixed to a hub. A plurality of fins may be useful in quicklytransferring litter from a hopper to a chamber, controlling the amountof litter transferred, or both. The one or more fins may be rigid,semi-rigid, semi-flexible, flexible, or a combination thereof. The oneor more fins may be flexible along a length of the one or more fins.Flexibility of the one or more fins may be advantageous in allowing afin to scrape along a wall of a dispenser housing while rotating,maintaining contact with the dispenser housing to block litter fromleaking from the hopper into the chamber, or both. Flexibility of thefins may also prevent jamming of the dispensing device while rotating.One or more fins of the paddle may be affixed to or integral with a hub,drive shaft, or both. Rotational movement of the drive shaft, hub, orboth results in rotation of the paddle, fins, or both about the samerotational axis. One or more fins may be affixed to the hub at anattached end. The attached end may have a shape reciprocal with anengagement feature of the hub. The attached end may have a shapereciprocal with a channel of the hub. For example, the attached end maybe in the shape of a “T”. The attached end of one or more fins mayreside within and be engaged in one or more channels of the hub.Opposite the attached end of one or more fins is a free end. The freeend may come into contact with an interior wall of the dispenser housingduring rotation. One or more fins of a paddle may also be hingedlyattached to a paddle. One or more fins of a paddle may be hinged,static, or both relative to the hub. Static may refer to the fin movingwith the hub while still maintaining flexibility. A height of a fin maybe the distance from the attached end to the free end. The height of thefin may allow the free end to be in contact with or free of contact witha wall of the dispenser housing. A fin may have a length. The length ofa fin may be measured as substantially parallel to a rotational axis ofthe dispensing device, the shaft cavity, or both. The length of the finmay be greater than, about equal to, or less than a length of the hub.

The litter dispenser includes a dispenser housing. The dispenser housingmay function to house a dispensing device, guide litter toward achamber, guide litter toward a chute, or any combination thereof. Thedispenser housing may have a shape which is generally cubical,cylindrical, spherical, conical, prismed, cuboidal, the like, or anycombination thereof. For example, the dispenser housing may have a shapewhich is generally a trapezoidal prism, conical, or the like. Thedispenser housing may be open on both ends. The dispenser housing may beopen on an end which receives a bottom wall of a hopper. The dispenserhousing may have an end with a shape substantially reciprocal to thecross-sectional shape of the hopper. The reciprocal shape may allow forthe dispenser housing to receive a portion of the hopper, such as thebottom wall, a portion of the side walls, or both. The dispenser housingmay have a larger cross-sectional area on one end as opposed to asmaller cross-sectional area on an opposite end. A shape of the hoppermay be tapered. The dispensing device may include a single or aplurality of side walls. One or more side walls may include a shapereciprocal with one or more contours of an exterior of a bonnet,chamber, base, or any combination thereof. For example, a side walladapted to be adjacent to a bonnet may be concave. The concave wall maymatch a convex and/or rounded shape of an exterior wall of a bonnet. Thereciprocal shape may allow the side wall to rest directly adjacent toand in contact with the bonnet. The side walls may surround a hollowinterior of the dispenser housing.

The dispenser housing may include a dispenser mount located therein. Thedispenser mount may function to retain the dispensing device, allowmovement (e.g., rotation) of one or more components of the dispensingdevice; funnel litter from a dispensing device through a dispensingopening; or a combination thereof. The dispenser mount may have anysize, shape, and/or configuration suitable for retaining a dispensingdevice within the dispenser housing. The dispenser mount may include oneor more cradles. One or more cradles may function to retain (e.g.,cradle) one or more components of the dispensing device. One or morecradles may allow for rotation, may prevent rotation, or both of one ormore components of the dispensing device. One or more cradles may hold adrive source, drive shaft, insert, hub, or any combination thereof. Oneor more cradles may have a shape reciprocal with at least a portion of acontour of the one or more components of a dispensing device. One ormore cradles may have a shape which is generally U-shaped. For example,the cradle may be U-shaped to be reciprocal with a cylinder shape of adrive source. The U-shaped cradle may hold the drive source relativelystatic while the drive source applies torque to the drive shaft. Thedispenser mount may include two or more mounting walls. The two or moremounting walls may function to retain one or more components of adispensing device therebetween while allowing movement. The two or moremounting walls may be located adjacent to one or more cradles. The twoor more mounting walls may extend from one side wall of the dispenserhousing to an opposing side wall. The two or more mounting walls may bespaced apart. The two or more mounting walls may be spaced apart by adistance about equal to a length of a hub, paddle, one or more fins, orany combination thereof. One of the mounting walls may include anopening. The opening may function to receive a drive shaft, hub, or boththerethrough. The mounting wall with the opening may be adjacent to oneor more cradles. Located between the two or more mounting walls may be aportion of a dispensing device. Extending across from one mounting wallto an opposing mounting wall may be a drive shaft, hub, paddle, one ormore fins, or any combination thereof. Adjacent to the two or moremounting walls, side walls, or both may be a dispensing outlet. Adispensing outlet may be formed by the two or more mounting walls, aportion of two or more side walls, or both. A dispensing outlet may besubstantially hollow. A hollow interior of a dispensing outlet may forma dispensing opening. A dispensing outlet may project beyond a hollowinterior of a dispenser housing. The two or more mounting walls, two ormore side walls, or both may taper such that the dispensing outlet isfunnel shaped. The dispensing outlet may be in fluid communication witha chute.

The litter dispenser may include a chute. A chute may function to funnellitter from a dispensing device, dispenser housing, dispenser opening,or a combination thereof into a chamber. A chute may have any size,shape, and/or configuration to place the dispenser housing in fluidcommunication with an interior of a chamber. The chute may be at leastpartially aligned with a rotational axis of a chamber. A chute mayinclude a chute housing, chute inlet, chute outlet, chute opening, chuteslide, the like, or any combination thereof. A chute housing may connectthe litter dispenser to an interior of the chamber. The chute housingmay be substantially aligned, centered, off centered, or a combinationthereof with a rotational axis of the housing. Being aligned, such thatthe longitudinal axis of the chute housing is substantially centeredwith the rotational axis of the chamber allows for the dispenser todispense litter into the chamber at any point during a cleaning cycle,avoid interference with one or more interior components of a chamber,allow the chute housing to remain static as the chamber rotates, or anycombination thereof. A chute, chute housing, or both may beapproximately parallel (e.g., same angle) as the rotational axis of thechamber. A chute housing may be in fluid communication with a dispenserhousing, an interior of a chamber, or both. A chute housing may receive,engage, or both a dispensing outlet. The chute housing may have anysuitable shape for being affixed to both a dispenser housing and achamber. The chute housing may have a shape which is generally cubical,cylindrical, spherical, conical, prismed, cuboidal, the like, or anycombination thereof. For example, the chute housing may be substantiallycylindrical. The chute housing may be hollow or partially hollow. Ahollow interior may allow for litter to pass therethrough. The chutehousing may include a chute inlet. A chute inlet may function to be influid communication with a dispensing outlet of a dispenser housing. Achute inlet may project from the chute housing. For example, the chuteinlet may project from the cylindrical wall of the chute housing. Achute inlet may have a shape reciprocal with an interior or exteriorshape of a dispensing outlet. The chute inlet may receive the dispensingoutlet therein. The chute inlet may be adjacent to, integral with,affixed to, or a combination thereof a chute wall. A chute wall may belocated within a chute housing. A chute wall may function to funnellitter from a dispensing outlet, chute inlet, or both toward a chuteoutlet, interior of a chamber, or both. A chute wall may extend from achute inlet to a chute outlet. A chute wall may be angled relative to alongitudinal axis of the chute housing. The longitudinal axis of thechute housing may extend along a length, hollow interior, or both of thechute housing. A chute wall may be angled from the chute inlet to abottom edge of the chute housing, the chute outlet, or both. A chutewall may be angled by about 100 degrees or greater, about 110 degrees orgreater, about 120 degrees or greater, or even about 130 degrees orgreater relative to the longitudinal axis of the chute housing. A chutewall may be angled by about 160 degrees or less, about 150 degrees orless, or even about 140 degrees or less relative to the longitudinalaxis of the chute housing. The angle may be the angle facing toward achute outlet. The chute outlet may be an open end of the chute housing.The chute outlet may be located within a chamber. The chute outlet maybe located adjacent to, distanced from, in proximity to, or acombination thereof a limiting wall of a chamber. The chute outlet,chute slide, or both may cooperate with a limiting wall to form anaperture for allowing litter to transfer from the chute to an interiorof the chamber. The chute outlet, chute slide, or both may cooperatewith a limiting wall of the chamber to guide litter toward a bottom ofan interior of the chamber (e.g., lower chamber, liner).

The litter dispenser may be comprised of one or more materials. The oneor more materials may be any material suitable for being shaped (e.g.,molded) into the separate components of the litter dispenser, havinglitter located therein, or both. One or more materials of the hopper,dispenser housing, chute, or a combination thereof may be comprised of apolymeric system. The polymeric system may be a thermoplastic or athermoset material. The polymeric system may be one suitable for moldinginto the shape or shapes of each portion of the housing. Polymericsystems may include polyolefins, styrenics, acrylates, acrylonitriles,polycarbonates, polyurethanes, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),and blends thereof. Such materials may be modified with a number ofadditives such as fillers, elastomers, fire retardants, stabilizers, andthe like. The portions of the litter dispenser may be prepared by anyprocess capable of forming the materials into the desired shapes of thehousing and able to perform the necessary functions. Portions of thelitter dispenser may be formed by injection molding, reaction injectionmolding, thermoforming, the like, or any combination thereof. Someportion of the housing may be opaque, transparent, or a combination ofboth. For example, a hopper may be transparent to visibly see the litterwithin the hopper. For example, a dispenser housing may be transparentto visibly see movement of the dispensing device. One or more othermaterials of the litter dispenser may be comprised of one or moreflexible materials. One or more paddles and/or fins may be comprised ofone or more flexible materials or may be comprised of materials suitablefor the housing. One or more paddles and/or fins may be comprised of anysuitable material capable of deflection, having elastomeric properties,or both. One or more paddles and/or fins may be comprised of one or moreelastomers having viscoelasticity, one or more rubbers, or both.Exemplary flexible materials may include polyisoprene, polybutadiene,polyisobutylene, polyurethane, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or acombination thereof.

Illustrative Embodiments

Any of the features described herein may be combined or used in lieu ofone or more features described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,757,094 and9,433,185, and US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2013/0333625 and2019/0364840, which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety for all purposes.

FIG. 1 illustrates an automatic litter device 1. The device 1 includes achamber 10 and a base 12. Located within the chamber 10 is litter 5. Thechamber 10 is supported by the base 12. The chamber 10 is rotatablerelative to the base 12. The base 12 may comprise one or more componentswhich assist in rotation of the chamber 10. The chamber 10 is at leastpartially covered by a bonnet 14. The bonnet 14 is attached to the base12. The chamber 10 is also rotatable relative to the bonnet 14 (e.g.,the bonnet 14 may remain static while the chamber 10 rotates). The base12 includes a waste drawer 16. Upon rotation of the chamber 10, wastewithin the chamber 10 may be transferred from within the chamber 10 tothe waste drawer 16. The waste drawer 16 includes a step 18. The step 18may include a cleaning device 20. The device 1 includes an opening 22.The opening 22 may allow for an animal to enter and exit the chamber 10.The animal may use the step 18 to facilitate entering and exiting thechamber 10. The device 1 also includes a bezel 24. The bezel 24 islocated about the opening 22.

The device 1 may include a litter dispenser 200 (such as illustrated inFIG. 23 ). The litter dispenser 200 (not shown) may contain additionallitter 5 separate from that located in the chamber 10. The litterdispenser 200 (not shown) may be in fluid communication with the chamber10 such that litter 5 is able to transfer from the litter dispenser 200to the chamber 10. The litter dispenser 200 (not shown) may be attachedto the chamber 10, the base 12, or both. The litter dispenser 200 mayrelease litter 5 into the chamber 10 upon one or more sensors 52 (notshown) detecting a certain level or less of litter 5 within the chamber10. The litter dispenser 200 (not shown) may stop releasing or notrelease litter 5 into the chamber 10 upon one or more sensors 52detecting a certain level of litter 5 or greater within the chamber 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates an automatic litter device 1. The device 1 includes achamber 10. A bonnet 14 is located around a portion of the chamber 10.An opening 22 is formed in the chamber 10. Inside the chamber 10 is aseptum 32. A bezel 24 is located about the opening 22. An outer bezel 46is the portion of the bezel 24 visible from the exterior. The bezel 24is affixed to the base 12. The base includes a base frame 68. Locatedwithin and removable from the base frame 68 is a waste drawer 16. Thewaste drawer 16 includes a step 18.

FIG. 3 illustrates an automatic litter device 1. The litter device 1includes a bonnet 14. A bonnet 14 covers an upper chamber 26. The upperchamber 26 is part of a chamber 10. The chamber includes an opening 22.The device 1 includes a step 18. The step 18 may allow for an animal tocomfortably enter and exit from the chamber 10 via the opening 22. Thestep 18 includes a cleaning device 20.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the automatic litter device 1. A bonnet 14may cover the chamber 10. The bonnet 14 may be pivotally engaged withthe base 12, such as by one or more hinges 70 (not shown). The chamber10 comprises an upper chamber 26 and a lower chamber 28. The bonnet 14has a shape substantially reciprocal to that of the upper chamber 26.The bonnet 14 is also solid such that it covers a waste opening 30formed in the upper chamber 26. Located inside the chamber 10 is aseptum 32. Also located inside the chamber 10 is a liner 34. The liner34 may be flexible. The liner 34 may include a weight 35. The weight 35may reside within an indentation (not shown) of the liner 34. The lowerchamber 28 includes a filter cavity 56. The filter cavity 56 houses aremovable filter 58. The filter 58 is retained within the filter cavity56 by a filter cap 60. Affixed to the exterior of the chamber 10 is atrack 36. The track 36 is located opposite the opening 22 of the chamber10. The track 36 is in the form of a ring gear having the gear teethformed about a periphery. The track 36 is rotationally engaged with adrive source 38. The drive source 38 is a motor 40 with a drive shaft 42rotationally engaged with a gear 44. The gear 44 meshes with the track36 so that rotation from the drive source 38 is transferred to the track36. The track 36 is statically affixed to the chamber 10. Thus, rotationof the track 36 results in rotation of the chamber 10. Located about theopening 22 is a bezel 24. The bezel 24 is affixed to the base 12. Thebezel 24 includes an outer bezel 46 and inner bezel 48. The outer bezel46 is affixed to and covers the inner bezel 48. The bezel 24 includes asensor board 50. The sensor board 50 is mounted onto the inner bezel 48and located between the outer bezel 46 and inner bezel 48. The sensorboard 50 is mounted such that it is opposite the base 12, including thewaste drawer 16. The sensor board 50 includes one or more sensors 52.The one or more sensors 52 may include one or more laser sensors 54. Thebase 12 includes a chamber support 62 and base frame 68. The chambersupport 62 rests within the base frame 68. The chamber support 62 housesthe drive source 38. The chamber support 62 separates the waste drawer16 from the chamber 10. The chamber support 62 aids in forming a drawercavity 64. The waste drawer 16 resides within the drawer cavity 64. Thewaste drawer 16 is movable in and out of the drawer cavity 64 via adrawer opening 66 in the base 12. The waste drawer 16 includes a step18. The step 18 may be able to be used as a handle. The step 18 includesa cleaning device 20. The waste drawer 16 includes a waste bin 80. Thewaste drawer 16 also includes a seal 104. The seal 104 may be locatedabout a periphery of a waste bin 80. The periphery may be defined by arim or flange. The base 12 may include one or more port caps 72.

FIG. 5 illustrates an automatic litter device 1. The device 1 includes achamber 10 supported by a base 12. Covering the chamber 10 is a bonnet14. The bonnet 14 is pivotally affixed to the base 12. The bonnet 14 isaffixed to the base frame 68 via one or more hinges 70. The base frame68 includes one or more port caps 72. The port caps 72 are locatedopposite a drawer opening 66 (not shown).

FIG. 6 illustrates an automatic litter device 1. The device includes abase 12. Located within the base 12 is waste drawer 16. The waste drawer16 includes a step 18. The base 12 is affixed to a bonnet 14 via one ormore hinges 70. The bottom 74 of the base 12 includes a bottom ridge 76.The bottom ridge 76 may be useful for being the portion of the device 1which rests on a surface, such as the floor. The bottom ridge 76includes a plurality of feet 78. The feet 78 may include threaded shafts(not shown). The feet 78 may move relative to the bottom ridge 76.Movement of the feet 78 out of the ridge 76 may allow for balancing thedevice 1 on uneven surfaces, such a slope on a floor.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate opposing sides of an automatic litter device 1.The device 1 includes a chamber 10 supported by a base 12. A bonnet 14covers a portion of the chamber 10, while another portion of the chamber10 rests within the base 12. The bonnet 14 is affixed to the base 12.The bonnet 14 is pivotally engaged with the base 12 via one or morehinges 70. The one or more hinges 70 are located opposite an opening 22.Located about an opening 22 to the chamber 10 is a bezel 24. The bezel24 is affixed to the base 12. The base includes a plurality of port caps72. Opposite the port caps 72 is a drawer opening 66. Located within thedrawer opening 66 is a waste drawer 16. The waste drawer 16 includes astep 18.

FIG. 9 illustrates an automatic litter device 1 without a bonnet 14,while FIG. 10 also has the base frame 68 removed. The device 1 includesa chamber 10. While in a home position 81, an upper chamber 26 islocated above the base 12. The base 12 includes one or more port caps72. The base 12 also includes a waste drawer 16 with a step 18. Thewaste drawer 16 includes a waste bin 80. The waste bin 80 is locatedunder the chamber 10. When the chamber 10 rotates during a cleaningcycle, the waste port 30 is aligned with the waste bin 80 allowing wasteto be transferred from chamber 10 to the waste drawer 16. A cleaningcycle results in rotation of the chamber 10. Rotation of the chamber 10results from rotation of the track 36. The track 36 is staticallyaffixed to the chamber 10 so that rotation of the track 36 results inrotation of the chamber 10. The chamber 10 rotates about an axis ofrotation AR. The axis of rotation AR forms an angle α with verticalwhich is represented by a vertical plane VP. The axis of rotation ARforms an angle β with a plane P parallel to a surface 82. The surface 82is one which the device 1 rests upon, such as a floor. The opening 22extends along an opening plane OP. The opening plane OP forms an angle θwith the vertical plane VP.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a septum 32. The septum 32 includes a livinghinge 84. The living hinge 84 connects a septum portion 86 to a screen88. The living hinge 84 allows the screen 88 to be pivotable relative tothe septum portion 86. The septum 32 includes a septum opening 100. Theseptum opening 100 is configured to be aligned with the waste opening 30(not shown). The septum opening 100 is formed in a neck 102 whichextends through and engages with the waste opening 30 (not shown).

FIG. 13 illustrates an upper chamber 26. The upper chamber 26 is shapedlike a half-sphere. The upper chamber 26 includes a waste opening 30.The waste opening 30 could alternatively be located along any otherportion or the chamber 10, as long as the waste opening 30 aligns withthe waste bin 80 (not shown) for waste disposal during a cleaning cycle.The waste opening 30 is substantially square-shaped. The upper chamber26 includes a rim 92. The upper chamber 26 includes an opening rim 94.The opening rim 94 forms a substantially U-shaped cut-out in the upperchamber 26. The opening rim 94 forms a portion of the opening 22.

FIG. 14 illustrates a lower chamber 28. The lower chamber 28 is shapedlike a half-sphere. The lower chamber 28 includes a rim 92. The rim 92of the lower chamber 28 is able to mate with the rim 92 of the upperchamber 26. The lower chamber 28 also includes an opening rim 94. Theopening rim 94 forms a U-shaped cut-out in the lower chamber 28. Theopening rim 94 forms a portion of the opening 22.

FIG. 15 illustrates a base 12. The base 12 includes a base frame 68.Located within the base frame 68 is a waste drawer 16. The waste drawer16 includes a waste bin 80 located within the base frame 68. The wastebin 80 is located between a bottom 74 and a chamber support 62. Thewaste drawer 16 also includes a step 18. Located on the step 18 is acleaning device 20. The chamber support 62 includes an opening 96. Theopening 96 is open to the waste bin 80. The chamber support 62 alsohouses some of the electrical controls 98 of the device 1. Theelectrical controls 98 include the drive source 38. The drive source 38includes a motor 40 and drive shaft 42. The drive shaft 42 is engagedwith a gear 44, such as a pinion. The gear 44 meshes with and drives thetrack 36 (not shown).

FIG. 16 illustrates an interior of an automatic litter device 1. Thedevice 1 includes a chamber 10 and a base 12. The chamber 10 includes anupper chamber 26 attached to a lower chamber 28. The chamber 10 issubstantially spherical or globe-shaped. The chamber 10 includes anopening 22. The opening 22 leads into the interior of the chamber. Ananimal can enter through the opening 22 to use litter 5 located withinthe chamber 10. Also, within the chamber is a liner 34. Opposite of theliner 34 is a septum 32. The septum 32 includes a septum portion 86attached to a screen 88 via a living hinge 84. The septum 32 includes aneck 102 which forms a septum opening 100 (not shown). The septumopening 100 is aligned with the waste opening 30 (not shown) in theupper chamber 26. In the home position 81, the bonnet 14 covers thewaste opening 30. During a cleaning cycle, the chamber 10 rotates suchthat the waste opening 30 aligns with the opening 96 (not shown) in thechamber support 62. The waste opening 30 also aligns with the waste bin80, so that waste may pass from the waste opening 30 to the waste bin80. The waste bin 80 is part of a waste drawer 16. The waste drawer 16includes a step 18. The step includes a cleaning device 20 locatedtherein. The waste drawer 16 is located within a base 12. The base 12includes the chamber support 62. The chamber support 62 houses one ormore electrical controls 98. The one or more electrical controls 98include the drive source 38. The drive source 38 includes a motor 40 anddrive shaft 42. The drive source 38 is in rotatable communication withthe track 36 to result in rotation of the chamber 10 during a cleaningcycle.

FIG. 17 illustrates a sensing range within an automatic litter device 1.The device 1 includes a chamber 10 supported by a base 12. The chamber10 is tilted such that an axis of rotation AR is not parallel to asurface 82. The axis of rotation AR forms an angle α with vertical whichis represented by a vertical plane VP. The axis of rotation AR forms anangle β with a plane P parallel to a surface 82. The opening 22 extendsalong an opening plane OP. The opening plane OP forms an angle θ withthe vertical plane VP. Due to the tilt of the chamber 10, one or moresensors 52 affixed to the bezel 24 at the opening 22 are able to senseone or more conditions within the device 1. Specifically, due to thetilt of the chamber 10, the one or more sensors 52 are aligned with thelitter 5 and waste bin 80. The one or more sensors 52 may be one or morelaser sensors 54. The one or more laser sensors 54 may include one ormore cone lasers. For example, two wide cone lasers and a one narrowcone laser may be used together. The one or more sensors 52 may be ableto measure a distance, level, amount, displacement, and/or even positionof litter, waste, or both within the chamber 10, within the waste drawer16, or both. For example, a level or amount of litter within the chambermay be determined by the distance measured from the one or more sensors52 to an upper surface of the litter 5 within the chamber. One or moreof the sensors 52 have an animal presence sensing range 105. The animalpresence sensing range 105 covers a majority of an upper surface of thelitter 5 within the chamber. One or more of the sensors 52 which providethe animal presence sensing range 105 are able to sense or detect thepresence of an animal within the chamber 10. The one or more sensors 52which provide the animal presence sensing range 105 may be one or morecone laser sensors, such as two wide cone laser sensors or even thecombination of two wide cone laser sensors and one narrow cone lasersensor. The one or more sensors 52 have a waste level sensing range 107.The waste level sensing range 107 is able to cover a surface area withina waste bin 80 of a waste drawer 16. The one or more sensors 52 whichprovide the waste level sensing range 107 have the “line of sight”aligned with the waste bin 80 when the waste opening 30 is rotatedduring a cleaning cycle such that the waste opening 30 exposes the wastebin 80. This line of sight alignment is a result of the tilt of thechamber relative to the vertical axis. If the chamber were to have itsaxis aligned with the vertical axis, the sensors would have a sensingrange looking across the opening as opposed to into the chamber. The oneor more sensors 52 which provide the waste level sensing range 107 mayinclude a single narrow cone laser sensor. In addition to sensing thepresence of an animal within the chamber 10, waste or a waste levelwithin the waste drawer 16, the one or more sensors 52 may also provideposition sensing of the chamber 10 before, during, and/or after acleaning cycle.

FIG. 18 illustrates a seal arrangement of the automatic litter device 1.The seal arrangement may be particularly beneficial in preventing odorfrom transferring from the base 12 around the chamber support 62 andaround chamber 10, and thus out of the automatic litter device 1. Theseal arrangement may include a plurality of seals 104. The seals 104 mayinclude any suitable mechanical seal for preventing leakage of liquid,odors, waste, and even loose litter. The plurality of seals 104 mayinclude one or more gaskets, such as one or more flange gaskets, or oneor more brush type seals. The seals 104 may be located between matingsurfaces of the waste drawer 16 and the chamber support 62. For example,a seal 104 may be located about at least a portion of a perimeter of thewaste bin 80 where the waste bin 80 contacts the chamber support 62. Asanother example, a seal 104 may be located about at least a portion of aperiphery of an opening 96 of a chamber support 62. The seal 104 mayseal a gap between the chamber 10 and the chamber support 62. The wastebin 80 may have a ventilation system 106. The ventilation system 106 maybe connected to the device 1 via one or more ports 108. The one or moreports 108 may be covered by one or more port caps 72 if not connected toa ventilation system 106. The ventilation system 106 may function byremoving air (e.g., odor) from the waste bin 80. The ventilation system106 may include one or more filters, fans, and/or ducts to move air fromthe device 1. For example, the ventilation system 106 may even includeone or more ducts which are adapted to connect to window openings, dooropenings, or even vent openings of a home, such that odor from thedevice 1 is vented outside of the home.

FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate a ventilation system 106 useful with thedevice 1. The ventilation system 106 includes a plurality of ducts 112.The ducts 112 are connected to the ports 108. Via the ports 108, theducts 112 are in fluid communication with the waste bin 80. The ducts112 provide for an inflow 114 and outflow 116. The outflow 116 pulls airfrom the waste bin 80 while the inflow 114 pushes air from a filteringsystem 110 into the waste bin 80. The filtering system 110 may be anactive system (e.g., moves air). The filtering system 110 may move airvia one or more fans (not shown) to provide for air circulation. Thefiltering system 110 may include one or more fans, filters, lights, heatexchange devices, and/or the like which are capable of reducing,neutralizing, or even eliminating odor, such as odor related to animalwaste (e.g., urine, feces). The reduction of odor may occur througheliminating bacteria causing the odor, filtering the odor, and/or evencooling the air to reduce the odor.

One exemplary filtering system may be that as shown in FIG. 19B. Thefiltering system 110 may include a connection to an outflow 116, suchthat outgoing air from the waste bin 80 is routed into the filteringsystem. The filtering system 110 may include a connection to an inflow114, such that incoming air from to the waste bin 80 is air that hasbeen treated by the filtering system 110. The filtering system 110 mayinclude one or more light treatment devices 118. The one or more lighttreatment devices 118 may be any energy source suitable for killingbacteria waste which causes a malodor. For example, the one or morelight treatment devices 118 may include one or more ultraviolet lights.The filtering system 110 may include one or more thermoelectric devices120. The one or more thermoelectric devices 120 may be any devicesuitable for cooling the air passing through the filtering system 110.By cooling the air, growth of bacteria in waste which causes malodorsmay be suppressed, thus helping prevent odor. The one or morethermoelectric devices 120 may include one or more Peltier devices. Thefiltering system 110 may include one or more physical filters 122. Theone or more physical filters 122 may be any filter suitable forabsorbing odor from air as the air passes through the filter. One ormore physical filters 122 may include zeolite, charcoal, nylon wool,synthetic wool, silica gel, baking powder, the like, or a combinationthereof. The filtering system 110 may have one, two, or all three of:the light treatment device 118, thermoelectric device 120, and physicalfilter 122.

FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view of a chamber 10. The chamber 10includes an upper chamber 26 opposing and affixed to a lower chamber 28.The upper chamber 26 includes a waste opening 30. The lower chamber 28includes a filter cavity 56 suitable for housing a filter 58. A filtercap 60 retains the filter 58 within the filter cavity 56.

FIG. 21 illustrates a filtering system 110. The filtering system 110 maybe a passive system (e.g., absorbs odors from ambient air). Thefiltering system 110 may include a filter 58. The filter 58 has anarcuate contour reciprocal with a contour of a chamber 10 (such asillustrated in FIG. 20 ). The filter 58 may include one or more physicalfilters 122 (not shown). For example, the physical filter 122 mayinclude zeolite, charcoal, nylon, wool, synthetic wool, silica gel,baking soda, the like, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 22 illustrates a device 1 having a filtering system 110. Thefiltering system 110 is integrated into the chamber 10. The filteringsystem 110 resides adjacent to the waste bin 80. The filtering system110 may be able to absorb odors and filter air which rise from wastelocated within a waste bin 80. The filtering system 110 may include oneor more physical filters 122. The filtering system 110 may be thefiltering system 110 described with respect to FIGS. 20 and 21 .

FIGS. 23-25 illustrate an automated litter device 1. The litter device 1includes a chamber 10, base 12, and litter dispenser 200. The litterdispenser 200 is affixed to the chamber 10. The litter dispenser 200 isaffixed to a bonnet 14. The litter dispenser 200 is located opposite theopening 22 of the chamber 10.

FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate a litter dispenser 200. The litter dispenser200 includes a lid 208, hopper 202, and dispenser housing 230. The lid208 includes a handle 234 formed therein. The lid 208 rests partiallywithin a rim 236 of the hopper 202. The hopper 202 includes hopper walls206. The hopper wall 206 adapted to face toward the chamber 10 (such asshown in FIGS. 23-25 ) and bonnet 14 (not shown). The hopper wall 206has a shape substantially reciprocal with the exterior of the chamber10, more specifically the exterior of the bonnet 14. Adjacent and incommunication with the hopper 202 is a dispenser housing 230. Thedispenser housing 230 includes an opening 232.

FIG. 28 illustrates a cross-section of a litter dispenser 200 along lineC-C from FIG. 25 . The litter dispenser 200 includes a lid 208. The lid208 rests partially within a hopper 202. The lid 208 rests within therim 236 of the hopper 202. The hopper 202 stores litter 5 within ahollow interior 204. The volume of litter 5 able to be stored within thehopper 202 is limited by the lid 208. A fill line 238 indicates anacceptable volume of litter 5. The fill line 238 is located below thelid 208 such that the lid 208 is able to fully seat and engage with thehopper 202. The hopper 202 includes a funnel opening 240. The funnelopening 240 is located opposite of the lid 208. The funnel opening 240allows for the hopper 202 to be in fluid communication with a dispenserhousing 230. Located within the dispenser housing 230 is a dispensingdevice 220. The dispensing device 220 includes a paddle 228. The paddle228 includes a plurality of fins 242 about a rotational shaft 244. Thedispenser housing 230 includes an opening 232. The opening 232 allow forlitter 5 to exit and be dispensed into a chamber 10 (not shown).

FIG. 29 is an exploded view of a litter dispenser 200. The litterdispenser 200 includes a hopper 202. The hopper 202 may be useful forstoring litter 5 (not shown) before dispensing into the chamber 10 (notshown). The hopper 202 includes a hollow interior 204 formed by thehopper walls 206. Useful for closing the hopper 202 is a lid 208. Thelid 208 includes an outer lid 210 and inner lid 212. The lid 208includes a lid latch 214 with a spring 216. The lid latch 214 engageswith the hopper 202 to secure the lid 208 thereon. The lid latch 214engages with the latch retainers 218. The latch retainers 218 are formedas part of the hopper walls 206 and face toward the hollow interior 204.The litter dispenser 200 includes a dispensing device 220. Thedispensing device 220 includes a motor 222, hub 224, insert 226, andpaddle 228. The dispensing device 220 is located within a dispenserhousing 230. The dispenser housing 230 includes a dispensing opening232. The litter dispenser 200 also includes an electrical connector 300.The electrical connector 300 allows for electrical current to betransmitted to the motor 222.

FIG. 30 illustrates a partially exploded view of a portion of a litterdevice 1. The litter device 1 includes a bonnet 14. The bonnet 14includes a dispenser pocket 248 formed therein. The dispenser pocket 248is located generally opposite a chamber opening 22 (not shown). Thedispenser pocket 248 is substantially reciprocal with a hopper wall 206.The chamber pocket 248 includes a lip 246. The lip 246 is generallyreciprocal to a wall offset 250 (as shown in FIG. 29 ) of hopper 202.The chamber pocket 248 includes a chute casing 252. The chute casing 252includes an opening 260. The opening 260 aligns with a chute 254 and thedispensing opening 232 (not shown) so litter 5 may transfer from adispenser housing 230 (not shown) to a chute 254. A chute 254 is locatedwithin the chute casing 252. The chute 254 includes a chute inlet 256and a chute outlet 258. Located within the chute 254 is the chute slide262 (not shown).

FIG. 31 illustrates transfer of litter 5 from a litter dispenser 200into a chamber 10 of a litter device 1. The litter 5 may initially bestored within the hopper 202 up to a fill line 238. The hopper 202 islocated above a dispensing device 220. Gravity may be able to provide aconstant supply of litter 5 to the dispensing device 220. A hopper 202is in fluid communication with a dispenser housing 230 and dispensingdevice 220 via funnel opening 240. The funnel opening 240 may allowlitter 5 to transfer from the hopper 202 to the dispenser housing 230.The litter 5 may be dispensed onto and/or in between fins 242. A certainlevel of litter 5 located within the chamber 10 may trigger transitionof litter 5 from the litter dispenser 200 into the chamber 10. Forexample, one or more sensors 52 (not shown) may sense and/or measure alevel of litter 5 within the chamber. During a cleaning cycle dispensingis triggered. A motor 222 (FIG. 28 ) may be initiated. The motor 222 mayrotate a paddle 228. The motor 222 may rotate the paddle 228 through ahub 224. Rotation of the paddle 228 allows for litter 5 located betweenfins 244 to be in communication and pass through an opening 232 of adispenser housing 230. Upon exiting the dispenser housing 230, litter 5passes through a chute inlet 256 of a chute 254. Upon entering the chute254, the litter 5 is conveyed via a chute slide 262 to a chute outlet258. The chute outlet 258 is the gap between the chute slide 262 and thelimiting wall 264. The limiting wall 264 is part of the upper chamber26. Upon exiting the chute outlet 258, the litter 5 is located withinthe chamber 10.

FIG. 32 illustrates a partial cross-section of a litter device 1 alongsection C-C of FIG. 25 . The litter device 1 includes a litter dispenser200 affixed to both a bonnet 14 and base frame 68.

FIG. 33 is a front view of an automatic litter device 1. Within theinterior of the chamber 10 is a limiting wall 264. The limiting wall 264is formed as part of the upper chamber 26. The limiting wall 264 isdistanced from and cooperates with the chute slide 262 (such as shown inFIG. 31 ) to form the chute outlet 258 (such as shown in FIG. 31 ).

FIG. 34 illustrates an interior of a dispenser housing 230. Thedispenser housing 230 includes a dispenser mount 231. The dispenserhousing 230 includes a hollow interior formed by side walls 264. Withinthe hollow interior there are two mounting walls 266. The two mountingwalls 266 are opposing and distanced from one another. The two mountingwalls 266 extend from one side wall 264 to an opposing side wall 264.One mounting wall 266 includes an opening 268. Adjacent to a mountingwall 266 is a cradle 270. The mounting walls 266 cooperate with the sidewalls 264 to form a dispensing outlet 272. The dispensing outlet 272 ishollow and forms a dispensing opening 232. The two mounting walls 266and cradle 270 form the dispenser mount 231.

FIG. 35 illustrates a dispensing device 220 retained in place by adispenser mount 231. A motor 222 is held in place by a cradle 270. Themotor 222 is in rotational communication with a paddle 228. The paddle228 may include a plurality of fins 242. The fins 242 may be affixed toa hub 224. The paddle 228 and the hub 224 may be held in place bymounting walls 266. The paddle 228 and hub 224 may extend from onemounting wall 266 to an opposing mounting wall 266. The paddle 228 andthe hub 224 may be located adjacent to and/or above a dispensing outlet272, as shown in FIG. 34 .

Unless otherwise stated, any numerical values recited herein include allvalues from the lower value to the upper value in increments of one unitprovided that there is a separation of at least 2 units between anylower value and any higher value. As an example, if it is stated thatthe amount of a component, a property, or a value of a process variablesuch as, for example, temperature, pressure, time and the like is, forexample, from 1 to 90, preferably from 20 to 80, more preferably from 30to 70, it is intended that intermediate range values such as (forexample, 15 to 85, 22 to 68, 43 to 51, 30 to 32 etc.) are within theteachings of this specification. Likewise, individual intermediatevalues are also within the present teachings. For values which are lessthan one, one unit is considered to be 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01 or 0.1 asappropriate. These are only examples of what is specifically intendedand all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowestvalue and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to beexpressly stated in this application in a similar manner.

Unless otherwise stated, all ranges include both endpoints and allnumbers between the endpoints. The use of “about” or “approximately” inconnection with a range applies to both ends of the range. Thus, “about20 to 30” is intended to cover “about 20 to about 30”, inclusive of atleast the specified endpoints.

The terms “generally” or “substantially” to describe angularmeasurements may mean about +/−10° or less, about +/−5° or less, or evenabout +/−1° or less. The terms “generally” or “substantially” todescribe angular measurements may mean about +/−0.01° or greater, about+/−0.1° or greater, or even about +/−0.5° or greater. The terms“generally” or “substantially” to describe linear measurements,percentages, or ratios may mean about +/−10% or less, about +/−5% orless, or even about +/−1% or less. The terms “generally” or“substantially” to describe linear measurements, percentages, or ratiosmay mean about +/−0.01% or greater, about +/−0.1% or greater, or evenabout +/−0.5% or greater.

The disclosures of all articles and references, including patentapplications and publications, are incorporated by reference for allpurposes. The term “consisting essentially of” to describe a combinationshall include the elements, ingredients, components or steps identified,and such other elements ingredients, components or steps that do notmaterially affect the basic and novel characteristics of thecombination. The use of the terms “comprising” or “including” todescribe combinations of elements, ingredients, components or stepsherein also contemplates embodiments that consist essentially of, oreven consist of the elements, ingredients, components or steps. Pluralelements, ingredients, components or steps can be provided by a singleintegrated element, ingredient, component or step. Alternatively, asingle integrated element, ingredient, component or step might bedivided into separate plural elements, ingredients, components or steps.The disclosure of “a” or “one” to describe an element, ingredient,component or step is not intended to foreclose additional elements,ingredients, components or steps.

It is understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments as well as manyapplications besides the examples provided will be apparent to those ofskill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of theinvention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to theabove description, but should instead be determined with reference tothe appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to whichsuch claims are entitled. The disclosures of all articles andreferences, including patent applications and publications, areincorporated by reference for all purposes. The omission in thefollowing claims of any aspect of subject matter that is disclosedherein is not a disclaimer of such subject matter, nor should it beregarded that the inventors did not consider such subject matter to bepart of the disclosed inventive subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automated litter device having: a) a base; b)a waste drawer removably located within the base; c) a chamberconfigured for retaining a litter and rotatably supported by the base,wherein the chamber includes: i) an entry opening so that an animal canenter and exit the chamber; and ii) a waste opening configured so thatan animal waste passes through the waste opening into the base uponrotation of the chamber; d) a bezel located about the entry opening; e)one or more sensors located adjacent to the entry opening and positionedto have a line of sight into a hollow interior of the chamber such thatthe one or more sensors are adapted to sense a presence of the animalwithin the chamber, a presence of the animal waste in a waste bin in thebase, a level of the litter in the chamber, a position of the chamberrelative to the base, or any combination thereof; wherein the one ormore sensors are located on an upper portion of the bezel to have a lineof sight into the chamber; and wherein at least one of the one or moresensors also has a line of sight into the waste drawer via the wasteopening when the chamber rotates such that the waste opening is alignedwith the waste drawer.
 2. The automated litter device of claim 1,wherein the one or more sensors are able to sense presence, measure adistance, measure a displacement, detect a position relative to one ormore components of the automated litter device, or any combinationthereof.
 3. The automated litter device of claim 1, wherein the one ormore sensors are one or more mass sensors, capacitive sensors, infraredsensors, laser sensors, ultrasonic sensors, membrane sensors, radiofrequency (RF) admittance sensors, conductive sensors, optical interfacesensors, microwave sensors, or combination thereof.
 4. The automatedlitter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are aplurality of sensors.
 5. The automated litter device of claim 1, whereinthe one or more sensors include one or more cone laser sensors.
 6. Theautomated litter device of claim 5, wherein the one or more cone lasersensors include one or more wide cone laser sensors, narrow cone lasersensors, or both.
 7. The automated litter device of claim 1, wherein theone or more sensors include 1 sensor or greater to 5 sensors or less. 8.The automated litter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensorsare located on a same side of the chamber as the waste opening; andwherein the same side is an upper chamber.
 9. The automated litterdevice of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors has aline of sight onto a majority of an exposed surface of the litter so asto detect the presence of the animal within the chamber, the level ofthe litter in the chamber, or both.
 10. The automated litter device ofclaim 1, wherein the automated litter device includes a filtering systemconfigured for reducing, eliminating, and/or preventing malodors withinthe base.
 11. The automated litter device of claim 10, wherein thefiltering system is located between the chamber and the base.
 12. Theautomated litter device of claim 1, wherein the entry opening has across-section which is substantially circular, ovular, elliptical, or acombination thereof.
 13. The automated litter device of claim 1, whereinthe chamber includes a track generally opposite the entry opening forrotating the chamber about an axis of rotation.
 14. The automated litterdevice of claim 13, wherein a drive source is housed within the basewhich is in rotatable communication with the track.
 15. The automatedlitter device of claim 13, wherein the track lies substantially in oneplane which defines a track plane; and wherein the track plane forms anangle between about 5 degrees and about 50 degrees with a verticalplane, for rotating the chamber about the axis of rotation.
 16. Theautomated litter device of claim 15, wherein the track plane issubstantially normal to the axis of rotation.
 17. The automated litterdevice of claim 1, wherein an axis of rotation of the chamber forms anangle of between about 40 degrees and about 85 degrees relative to avertical plane.
 18. The automated litter device of claim 1, wherein theautomated litter device includes a litter dispenser in communicationwith the chamber to transfer some of the litter to the chamber.
 19. Theautomated litter device of claim 18, wherein the litter dispenser isaffixed to the chamber.
 20. The automated litter device of claim 1,wherein the one or more sensors or one or more other sensors areconfigured to detect the presence of the animal within the waste drawer.